A Street Rat's Worth
by only-some-loser
Summary: Anyone living in the palace can see how important Aladdin is to Genie. Usually, that's not a bad thing, except when a jealous nobleman wants to use that bond to his own advantage. Because to save Aladdin, Genie would do anything. Street rats don't belong on the throne. They're worthless. And Fahad will stop at nothing to make Aladdin worthless once again.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is my first multi-chapter fic for Aladdin! I tried to force myself to finish my Kingsman/MacGyver crossover first, but I was just too excited for this lol. The only thing that's different from canon in this is that Genie does retain some of his powers, but they're pretty minimal. They're just slightly phenomenal and not exactly cosmic lol. Most chapters should be a lot longer than this one, because this is basically just an introduction. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

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The corridors were dark as he walked along, alone. Night had fallen on Agrabah, and the royals were fast asleep. But that didn't mean the palace slept. Servants still had tasks to accomplish, and they would work until those tasks were complete. Fahad avoided them as much as he could. He longed for solitude, and while he could order the servants away from him, as a sheikh, their tasks did indeed need to be accomplished. Sleep did not come easily to him anymore, not since the street rat became king. The thought infuriated him once more. Only a select few knew of the brat's history, and Fahad was one of them. Aladdin was a street rat, the lowest of the low, and for some reason, the princess chose him to marry, and the sultan had allowed it. Soon after the wedding, the sultan passed away, likely due to the lasting impacts of the trauma he endured due to the former vizier, and his old age. In a never before seen turn of events, the princess became the new sultan, and was sultan that she insisted to be called. Sultana would not do for her, since she believed it did not command the same respect that sultan did. Fahad tried to make his peace with that, but it was difficult. He had known Jasmine her whole life, since he was in fact nobility and lived in the palace. It wasn't his destiny to be sultan, and he could try to accept that, as difficult as it was. But what he could not accept was a street rat sitting on the throne as well. That boy did not deserve to be king. Jasmine herself didn't deserve to be sultan, in Fahad's opinion, but there was nothing he could do about that.

Fahad muttered a curse in annoyance at the noise that was coming from down the hall. Why could he not find somewhere to stew in private? He did not wish to return to his quarters. They simply reminded him that a street rat was living better than he was. Still, he kept walking down the corridor, and glanced into the room where the laughter and voices were coming from. He could barely keep from rolling his eyes at the sight. Despite what he had originally thought, the royals were not in fact asleep. Jasmine and Aladdin, along with their favorite servants, were in one of the many sun rooms, playing some sort of card game, but clearly not paying much attention to it.

"How could you have won again?" Aladdin asked in disbelief. Jasmine just continued to laugh, and shook her head.

"Aw, I'm sorry," Aladdin's servant said in mock sympathy, grabbing the boy king and pulling him into a tight hug. They all continued to laugh, and Aladdin even embraced the arm that had pulled him close. Fahad couldn't help but watch in fascination. Aladdin and his servant - who Fahad knew to be a genie, since he had been there on Jafar's last days - shared an unnaturally close relationship. It was one thing for Jasmine and Dalia, her servant, to be so close, since Dalia had been helping to raise Jasmine for years, especially after the queen was killed, but Aladdin and the genie? There was no basis for it. But, maybe Fahad could use that. Maybe there was a way for Fahad to get exactly what he wanted. The boy's servant was a genie after all, and he seemed to care for the boy more than anything, except for maybe his own wife - the fact that a genie fell in love with a human baffled him, but he had nothing against Dalia, while hurting the street rat would be much more pleasurable.

"Hey, Fahad," Aladdin called out, a massive smile on his face. The genie still had an arm wrapped around him, and the boy didn't seem eager to remove it. "Care to join us?" he asked.

"We can deal you in," Jasmine added, smiling as well. That was the strange thing about the two of them. They were so different from any rulers before, being much more personable with both the nobility and the servants. Fahad doubted that Jasmine's father ever would've invited him to join in a card game, but Jasmine and her husband didn't hesitate to.

"My apologies, your majesties," he said with a slight bow. He hated bowing to the royals, but sadly, it was a necessity. He couldn't be openly disrespectful, no matter how much he hated having a woman on the throne of Agrabah, and a street rat by her side. "I must retire for the night, and, if I may be so bold, you should as well. It is getting quite late," he continued. It had to be past midnight. Only the nightguards and some servants were around.

Jasmine sighed. "He's right," she said, looking pointedly at her husband, who was still tucked under the genie's arm.

"Come on, one more round," he pleaded with her, holding up a finger. "Let me at least try to redeem myself." Jasmine rolled her eyes, but was smiling.

"One more round won't hurt," Dalia added, but she was staring at her husband. They all laughed softly, but Jasmine dealt the cards, earning some excited sounds from Aladdin.

"Goodnight," Fahad said, then excused himself. The royals replied, but he couldn't listen to those children anymore, for that's what they were, children. Aside from the fact that she was a woman, Jasmine was much too young to be a competent sultan, and Aladdin was the same. They should've put someone else in charge until Jasmine was older, at least. The moment he turned away, Fahad rolled his eyes. Aladdin especially was so childish. How could anyone ever respect him as king? Fahad certainly never would. At least he had a friend in Razoul. The guard had chased the thief throughout the streets for years, and now had to serve him as king. It was just insulting.

But Fahad had an idea growing in the back of his mind, and it just might fix all of his problems. Jasmine had no right to be sultan, and although he was the king's valet, the genie was in fact a genie, and he would do anything to protect Aladdin. Fahad smiled as he made his way back to his quarters. Soon, they would all get what was coming to them. Fahad would get the power and respect he deserved, and Jasmine and Aladdin would be put in their place. He would be content to have Jasmine beside him, but her street rat husband deserved nothing more than the dungeon, and Fahad planned to give him a fate worse than that.

Now, the only problem was how to put his plan into action. Once he had Aladdin and the genie in his clutches, everything would play out perfectly, but how would he get them there? The palace was heavily guarded, and although Razoul would certainly support him, Hakim definitely wouldn't, and the majority of the guards would chose to follow Hakim. No, he couldn't bring Razoul into it, as much as he wanted to. This was something he had to do on his own. And was fully capable of doing it himself, he didn't need any help anyway. He was a sheikh, he didn't need anyone's help to get rid of a woman and a street rat.

He still couldn't believe that a street rat had managed to become king. What did Jasmine see in that thief? If he was going to be in the palace, Aladdin should've been a bacha bazi for the rest of the nobles like himself, not sitting on the throne like he was actually worth something. Street rats were worthless. The only way Aladdin would ever be worth something was if a slaver decided on a price for him. A monetary amount was all Aladdin deserved to be worth. But even if Fahad could make that happen, Jasmine had been cracking down on the trade, so it likely wasn't an option.

Fahad stopped in his tracks, right outside his door. Maybe he could make it happen. If there came a point where his plans all came to fruition and he was confident that nothing could change the new reality, maybe he could force the genie to change things to make that happen. Fahad wasn't sure, but if he put a knife to the pretty boy's neck and told the genie to change things or watch the boy die, he'd probably do it. But it didn't matter. It was a win-win for Fahad either way. The boy's death would solve a lot of problems, although it would be much more gratifying to see him chained and sold. Fahad shook his head. It didn't matter quite yet anyway. He had to figure out how he was going to get them out of the palace first, then he could worry about all of that. He would need some magic resistant materials as well. It wouldn't do to have the genie escape, and it would be pointless to hurt the boy if the genie could immediately heal him. Fahad had a lot to plan, but it was going to be fun.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I forgot to mention it on the last chapter, but I have next to no knowledge of Arab culture or history. Everything I write comes from either my high school AP world history class or an Arab friend of mine, so I sincerely apologize for wherever an apology may be necessary lol. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

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"Habibi, if you don't stop doing this, or at least take a break, they're going to figure out it's you."

"I know, I know, just one last time, I need to do this."

"Fine." Jasmine sighed and rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

"I love you," Aladdin said, taking his wife into his arms. How did he get so lucky? Jasmine was always so understanding, and Aladdin didn't know what he had done to deserve her. He would forever be convinced that he didn't deserve her at all. Still, this was the first time she had ever even slightly complained about him using the reward he was gifted for defeating Jafar to give to the poor. Aladdin was king, he didn't need all those jewels and gold just for himself, to sit and collect dust. There were so many people out on the streets that did need it, just like he had not so long ago. Aladdin would've done anything to get a sultan who visited the poor areas of Agrabah and discreetly handed out gold. He was in a position where he could do that, so of course he was going to.

Although, Jasmine was right that people would soon recognize him and put two and two together. Aladdin made sure to disguise himself as a middle class man, and hid his face as best he could. There were plenty of people around who would recognize him as a street rat, and some who would recognize him as king, so the only disguise he could muster had to fall somewhere in the middle. So far, it had worked, but there had been a few close calls. Abu hated it too, since he couldn't go with him. That would be too conspicuous. Everyone from his days on the street knew about Abu, so the monkey had to stay in the palace.

This would be the third and likely final time - at least for a while - that he was able to take his gold and give it to children who would've been forced to steal otherwise. Aside from Jasmine, Genie, and Dalia, there were a few nobles and guards and a handful of servants who knew what he was doing, but overall, it wasn't something that people knew about it.

"I love you too," Jasmine replied. "I just want you to stay safe. Although we have many supporters, our rule is still controversial, and there are many who would wish to do you harm, either as king or a thief." She was entirely right, but Aladdin hated that she had to worry about him.

"I'll be fine," he scoffed, dismissively waving his hand. "I've been avoiding guards and vendors who hate me for as long as I can remember, and I'll do it again today," he reminded her. Jasmine was the love of his life, and he hated it when she worried.

"Are you sure you don't want Genie to go with you?" Jasmine asked, rubbing Aladdin's arm, but not looking him in the eye. "People don't recognize him, so that would throw any possible suspicion off you."

Aladdin gently took both of Jasmine's soft hands in his, giving her a gentle smile. "He and Dalia are enjoying a lovely dinner together tonight, and I don't want to chance taking him away from that at all." He understood how amazing it was to have time alone with the love of his life, and Genie was his best friend. Even a slight chance of taking away from that precious time was unacceptable. "I'll be fine, and I promise I'll be back in time for dinner." He quickly placed a gentle kiss of Jasmine's forehead, and flashed her that smile that he knew she couldn't resist. As per usual, she blushed and looked away. "Love you," he said, backing away, his bag of gold and jewels in hand.

"Love you too," Jasmine replied, staring after him.

Aladdin took the most discreet way out of the palace as he could, and breathed in the fresh air. The palace had never felt stuffy, but there was just something about always being out in the fresh air that Aladdin had grown to miss. The salty seabreeze didn't quite reach the palace interior like it did his previous home, and that was something that Aladdin craved. It made the stifling hot a bit more bearable, and distracted from the unpleasant smells of sweat and rotting fruit that had been left out in the sun too long.

He quickly made his way out to his old stomping grounds, making sure his face was as covered as it could be without looking suspicious. The sack he carried held more sacks inside of it, each small one filled with gold and a few jewels. It was easier to hand people a small bag then to give them a dozen coins, and it was less conspicuous. The first little bag went to an old beggar with only one hand. That easily could've been Aladdin, had he not met Jasmine. The thought of losing even one hand made him shiver, despite the desert air. He still had nightmares about that, despite how hard he tried to push those thoughts away. Another bag went to some dirty children, and another to a pregnant woman. The woman was so thin that it would be a miracle if the baby survived to term. Aladdin gave her a second bag, but he couldn't stop to talk with her. He couldn't talk with anyone. Not only would it take too long, but it unnecessarily exposed him. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't take that risk. He was already taking too much time as it was. Once these people realized what was in these bags, they would try to find him, and that posed a massive risk. Really, it was stupid to walk around Agrabah with that much money on him, even for charity reasons. He only had one bag left. He needed to give it to someone who needed it, then leave.

At the end of the alley, Aladdin saw someone in a cloak huddled into a corner. He was probably sick, or crippled, and couldn't move, because that wasn't a good place to beg from - not that any place was, but still. With a smile, Aladdin walked towards him. It was that guy's lucky day. Aladdin would help him to get to a more visible spot too, if the man needed help.

"Here you go," he said kindly, holding the small bag out in front of him as he knelt down slightly towards the man. "I can help you get closer to the market, if you want," he added. He just wanted to help in whatever way he could, even if he revealed himself as king or a thief.

The man slowly took the bag, then looked up at him. Aladdin squinted down at him in confusion. This man looked strikingly similar to Fahad, but that must have just been a coincidence, because anyone related to Fahad would also be nobility, and thus live in the palace, so this man couldn't be related-

The wind was knocked out of him as the man pounced, pushing him to the ground. Aladdin tried to speak, but he didn't have the time to before the man, who still looked just like Fahad, got his hands around Aladdin's throat, and started to squeeze. Aladdin thrashed against him, but the man had at least sixty pounds on him and was a full head taller. He was good and truly trapped. He tried to make some kind of noise to let people know that something was wrong, but he couldn't get a single sound out. Besides, in that part of town, it was doubtful that anyone would even want to help him. Still, Aladdin kept thrashing, trying to land a blow that would actually affect the man. He clawed at his face and tried to get a grip on his neck, but to no avail. Nothing was working, but it was his only chance.

"You'll finally get what you deserve, you filthy street rat," the man growled. Aladdin knew that voice. He tried to convince himself it wasn't true, but with the voice, it was undeniable. This truly was Fahad. Why was he doing this to him? His lungs were screaming for air as his head pounded due to lack of oxygen. His throat was burning with pain, and his vision was darkening. It was like he was drowning all over again, only this time, he had no hope of Genie saving him. As he drifted off into nothingness once again, Aladdin thought of Jasmine, and wondered why he hadn't kissed her one last time.

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If Jasmine knew one thing, it was that whenever Aladdin promised something, and didn't deliver, it was for a very good reason. Usually it meant that he was in trouble and thus physically unable to do anything about it. Hopefully, that wouldn't be the case, but Jasmine's mind couldn't help but go to the worst case scenarios. Aladdin was very late, and he'd promised to be home to eat dinner with her. He promised. Part of her wanted to send the guards after him, since he technically wasn't even supposed to leave the palace without guards anyway, since he was in fact king, but she decided against it. Having guards chasing after him would do nothing but bring up terrible memories that Jasmine would rather Aladdin be able to put behind him.

Maybe she should get Genie, Jasmine thought as she continued to pace. As much as she hated the idea of interrupting Genie and Dalia, she did put the welfare of her husband first, and she would interrupt the most important state meeting of all time in order to ensure his safety. Luckily, she would only be interrupting a dinner date, and not causing an international incident, but she would do it if she had to. Besides, Genie loved Aladdin more than anyone, aside from Dalia, but he was married to her, so that was different. Aladdin was like a son to him, and Genie would go to the ends of the earth to protect him. Jasmine smiled at the memory of a conversation she'd had with him. Genie had told her how hard he had tried not to care about him, but somehow, Aladdin had become everything to him. She had to agree. There was just something about him that some people couldn't help but be drawn to, and anyone who didn't like him did so out of jealousy.

Still, she should wait just a little longer, maybe Aladdin had just gotten caught up in conversation with someone and lost track of time. Jasmine looked out over the city, at the the setting sun, and sighed. If only that were true. It was clearly sunset, and he should've been home long ago. She didn't know if it was better or worse that whatever trouble he'd managed to get himself into was likely confined to just himself. The city wasn't on fire, and there were no riots in the streets. That would've been a very Aladdin thing to happen. Jasmine couldn't help but smile fondly at the thought. Her husband frequently managed to get into the strangest situations, but that was just another reason why she loved him.

She would give him another half hour, and if he wasn't back by then, she was getting Genie. Jasmine spent that half hour mindlessly drumming her fingers on the low wall of the balcony, and making Rajah very concerned. He sat right next to her, resting his warm head on her legs, and looking up at her with his big eyes.

"I'm okay, Rajah," she said. "Just concerned." She tried not to be, but what if something really had happened? What if something really was wrong?

It hadn't been quite half an hour, but she was done waiting. If something really was wrong, then she didn't have the time to wait. And if nothing was wrong, then Aladdin would get over it. She was going to Genie, and they were going to figure this out. She gently knocked on the door to the private dining area that Dalia and Genie were using, despite the fact that as sultan, she didn't actually have to knock anywhere. It was just the polite thing to do, especially since they were practically family.

"Yes?" came Dalia's voice from inside. With a deep breath, Jasmine opened the door, and walked in.

"I am so sorry to interrupt, but I think Aladdin may be in trouble," she said. She twisted her fingers in her hands and kept looking around the room as if her husband were just hiding somewhere, and would pop out and tell her that everything was alright, and she had no reason to worry.

"Why? What's going on?" Genie asked. He stood from his position sitting on the pillows on the floor, and reached out a hand to his wife to help her to stand as well, their dinner forgotten.

"Well, he left to go help the people in his old neighborhood again, and he said he'd be back for dinner, but he's still gone," Jasmine said, still wringing her hands with nervous energy. "Something's wrong, I know it."

"It's going to be okay, habibi," Dalia said, resting a hand on Jasmine's shoulder, and gently squeezing. "We're going to find him, right, Gene?" she said, looking over at her husband.

"Right," he replied. Genie quickly pulled Dalia in for a kiss, then started to walk out of the room, Jasmine and Dalia right on his heels. "I'll take Carpet, and we'll go to his old place. We'll start there, and we won't come back until we find him." He abruptly turned and stopped, facing the women. "And I will find him, I promise," he said, resting a hand on each of their shoulders.

Jasmine nodded, feeling more relieved than she had since Aladdin left earlier that afternoon. Genie would find him. Everything would be fine. Genie would bring him home, that Jasmine knew for sure.

Genie turned again and called out for Carpet. Less than ten seconds later, the magic carpet came flying around the corner, Abu seated on top, with Rajah at his heels - well, what would have been Carpet's heels if he'd had them. It still impressed Jasmine how well Carpet could hear, considering that he was a carpet, and didn't have ears. But, that had to come with the whole magic thing.

"Come on, rug man, we gotta go find Al," Genie said, shooing Abu off. "Sorry, Abu, you can't come. Stay with the girls, okay? I'll be back later." Without another word, he and Carpet were off.

"He'll find him, and bring him home," Dalia said. She rested an arm around Jasmine's shoulder, and Jasmine couldn't help but be comforted by her friend's touch. Dalia had been there for her as long as she could remember. She was the closest thing she had to a big sister, and every once in a while, played the role of her mother too. Jasmine could never thank her enough for that.

"I hope everything's okay," she replied, taking a deep breath. Time just couldn't pass fast enough.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! They mean a lot to me, and I am so glad that you guys are enjoying this. Also, just so you all know, I really don't know much at all about ancient Arabian culture, and since we don't have a date for when Aladdin takes place, it's very difficult to research. So, creative license and all that lol. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

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He had tried to act calm and like he wasn't worried when Jasmine had told him that Aladdin hadn't returned, but on the inside, he was panicking. When Aladdin promised something, he kept that promise, no matter what, and he had promised Jasmine that he would be back in time to share dinner with her. He never lost track of time, and if he got held up somewhere, then he would always find a way out in order to do what he had promised. For Aladdin to break a promise, he had either stopped to help someone in need - Aladdin's kind heart wouldn't let him not help people who needed it, no matter what he'd promised - or something had happened and he was in trouble. As much as Genie hoped it was the first option, he had a feeling it was the second.

"Come on, Carpet, this way," Genie muttered, directly the magic carpet to Aladdin's old home. That would be a a good place to start. He was supposed to be in that vicinity, and if the kid had gotten hurt, his old home was definitely where he would go.

Genie hopped off Carpet the moment he flew through the window, and took a quick look around the room. It was as empty as the last time he saw it, which was when he helped Aladdin to move his few possessions from there to the palace. The dust was undisturbed as well. It was clear that Aladdin hadn't been there.

"Any sign of him?" Genie called out to Carpet, who was circling above the hovel. Carpet flew back in through the window, looking pretty dejected. Genie took that to mean that no, he hadn't seen Aladdin. "You keep flying around Agrabah, I'll look around this area. We'll meet back up here in an hour, sound good?" he suggested. Carpet held out a thumbs up with his tassel, then flew away.

The view from that window truly was beautiful, but Genie didn't have time to stand there and admire it. His kid was out there somewhere, probably hurt, and Genie needed to find him. If Aladdin was fine, he wouldn't be when Genie was done with him. He was going to kill the kid for making him worry so much anyway.

Genie made his way out of the kid's old home, and onto the street. He still couldn't believe that Aladdin had actually lived there. For the millionth time, Genie was so grateful that Aladdin had found his lamp and gotten a better life. There was no kid more deserving of one than him.

The street still had plenty of vendors out, selling their wares by the evening light. Nothing seemed to be amiss. Guards still patrolled, as per usual, and they seemed to be carefree. Genie knew those guards, so he knew that if something had happened that was out of the ordinary, they would be in a foul mood the rest of the day. But Aladdin wouldn't have been talking to either the vendors or the guards, but the poor people. That was, after all, the whole reason that the kid went out to his old stomping grounds, to give his newfound riches to the less fortunate. The beggars may have seen him, and might have an idea as to what happened. Genie walked up to a man with only one hand sitting against a wall. That was definitely someone that Aladdin would've given gold to if he'd been there.

"I'm sorry, I don't have anything for you, I was just wondering if you've seen my friend," Genie said. The beggar looked up at him, looking happier than most beggars did.

"Who is your friend?" he asked. The man subtly pulled a little bag closer to him, a bag that Genie recognized. It was one of the bags that Aladdin had filled with gold to give to the poor. This man had seen him, had been given a great gift by him in fact.

"The kid who gave you that bag," Genie gently said. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna take it, it's just that my friend may be in trouble, and I need to know where he is. I'm really worried about him." Genie hoped that his face showed how worried he truly was.

"He went that way," the beggar said, nodding down the street. "He gave to some children and a pregnant woman, then walked down that alley. Once he was out of sight, I stopped paying attention to him, so I cannot tell you where he went after that. I am sorry. I do hope you find your friend. He is a kind boy," he said, a gentle smile on his face.

"Thank you so much, I'm sorry I can't repay you," Genie replied. He hadn't brought anything with him, his mind entirely focused on finding his kid. The beggar just waved his one hand, a smile on his face.

Genie quickly walked down the street, looking for poor children and pregnant women, since the beggar had said Aladdin had given them gold too. There were only other vendors, most of which looked to be closing up their shops. He turned down the alley the beggar had directed him to, but something just felt wrong. It was far too quiet in that alley with the vendors being just outside of it. Genie crept slowly down the alley, looking for anything amiss, anything to tell him what had happened to Aladdin. He was carefully raking his gaze across the ground when he spotted it: a silver ring. Eyebrows furrowed in concentration, Genie bent down and picked it up. The moment he took it into his grasp, it fell into separate, yet still connected pieces. His eyes widened in realization. This was Aladdin's wedding ring. When worn properly, the multiple bands fit together to form one complete ring. Jasmine had a matching one, and neither one ever took it off. Aladdin had not left willingly, he would never part with that ring.

Genie was so focused on the ring in his hand that he failed to notice that someone had crept up behind him until it was too late. Suddenly, there were chains wrapped around his chest and arms, and although they weren't tight, Genie could feel them eating away at him. They were magic chains, designed specifically to hinder the powers of genies. He wasn't all that powerful anymore anyway, so they really weren't that necessary, but clearly someone didn't know that. All of that passed through his mind faster than the blink of an eye, and just as quickly, he closed his fist around the ring - he would not let it out of his sight until it was back on Aladdin's finger where it belonged - and tried to turn to face his attacker. But he was still a genie, however much a weak one, and the dark magic of the chains was just so draining. He could barely continue to stand, much less fight back against someone who knew what they were doing.

"It's good to see that these work as advertised," said a very familiar voice. As Genie fell to his knees in weakness, the chains seemingly pulling him towards the ground, he looked up at the man. Fahad? He must've looked confused, because the man laughed. "Don't look at me like you're so surprised. You should've seen this coming."

In between heavy breaths, Genie panted out, "what did you do to Aladdin?" He couldn't fathom why, but Fahad had to be behind the kid's disappearance, and Genie was going to kill him for it. That boy had been through so much throughout his short life, and anyone who dared to hurt him was just asking to face Genie's wrath. He may not have been very powerful anymore, but the rules against murder that previously bound him no longer applied, and he didn't need magic to do it. Genie let his growing rage at the nobleman fuel him. The chains may have been draining, but his desire to protect Aladdin would keep him going through anything.

"He's fine, for now," Fahad answered, glaring down at him. "But I do have the street rat, and if you want him to remain unharmed, then I suggest you do exactly as I say."

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The first thing he noticed as awareness slowly came back to him was a dull throbbing in his wrists. After having so many nightmares of getting his wrists severed, he panicked for a split second, and tried to hold up his hands to make sure they were still attached. But he couldn't. Aladdin's wrists were chained above him, and attached to a hook on the ceiling. At least his hands were still there. Aladdin let out a deep breath that he hadn't known he was holding, and took stock of his situation. His feet were barely touching the ground, which was why there was so much stress on his wrists. His throat was throbbing too, probably from being strangled - he shuddered at the memory of Fahad's hands on his neck, squeezing so hard that Aladdin thought he was going to die. He still couldn't believe it was Fahad. Why would the nobleman do something like that? It didn't make any sense. Fahad had never been particularly friendly, but Aladdin had never noticed anything off about him either.

The room was on the smaller side, with only one door, and maybe one window. Aladdin felt a slight draft coming from behind him, and he could see a bit in front of him. It was probably night, based on the low light, assuming that it actually was a window behind him. He couldn't exactly turn to look, no matter how hard he tried. The room appeared to be stone, giving it a cold feeling that Aladdin wasn't sure was actually real, or just his imagination. He looked up at his bound hands, and tried to see if there was a way he could get them off the hook, but to no avail. Aladdin focused his efforts on lifting himself up in order to get a better look at what he was dealing with, to find a flaw that he could exploit. It was times like this that his life on the streets paid off. He had the arm strength to pull himself up, and hold the position for a few seconds, just long enough to get a better look.

Aladdin let himself fall back down with a heavy breath, his arms burning just a bit. He hadn't needed to do anything like that in a while, ever since living at the palace, and he was a bit out of practice. Still, he saw what he needed to. The chains were palace quality, not just something bought off a shady street vendor in the roughest part of town. They might have actually been from the palace, stolen by Fahad himself. The nobleman would have the access, and a guard like Razoul would've been willing to look the other way. Not for the first time, Aladdin wished that Razoul wasn't actually good at his job at all. Aside from hating Aladdin, Razoul was one of the finest guards the palace had, so Jasmine insisted on keeping him around, albeit on a short leash. If only he weren't so good at his job, then they could just get rid of him. Still, none of that took away from the fact that he wouldn't be able to get away from palace quality chains.

How could he have been so stupid? How could he have fallen for a trap like that? And now he was going to pay for it.

Aladdin was broken from his self deprecation by the sound of the lock on the door being undone. He quickly hardened his gaze. Fahad would not be allowed to see his fear. Aladdin was king, and kings didn't get scared. This was treason, and Aladdin would be sure to make Fahad completely aware of that.

But Fahad wasn't the only one to walk through the door. Genie was with him, and he looked very concerned. Fahad led Genie with chains, and Aladdin could tell by the way that the chains shimmered that they were enchanted, made specifically for stopping a genie's magic. Aladdin knew that Genie didn't have enough power anymore to make those chains worth it, but it appeared as though Fahad did not know that. Still, Fahad was clearly very prepared. What was he planning?

"Genie, are you okay?" he called out, his voice noticeably hoarse. The pain in his throat got so much worse when he talked, but Aladdin didn't care. He needed to make sure that Genie was alright.

"Yeah, kid, I'm fine," Genie replied. He sounded exhausted. Aladdin figured that was probably an effect of the enchanted chains. Powerful or not, Genie was still a genie, and the chains would still be draining. Genie stepped a little closer to him, and the concern in his eyes quickly turned to fury. He spun around to face Fahad, yanking on the chains that bound him as he did so. "You said you didn't hurt him!" he shouted at the man, clearly surprising him, since Fahad flinched back just a little bit. "You said you didn't hurt him," he repeated, seething.

"Sit, down, now, and chain yourself to the wall," Fahad practically growled. Genie just glared at him. "Unless you want to hear the boy's screams so soon, you'll do it," Fahad continued. Still glaring, Genie moved back to the wall, and did as Fahad said. What was Fahad talking about? What was going on?

"What do you want?" Aladdin asked. He tried to sound menacing, but with the pain in his throat, it came out much weaker than he wanted it to. His mind briefly flashed back to when he was on his knees in front of Jafar, the madman's magic in a vicelike grip around his throat. He pushed those memories to the side. Jafar was gone, and Fahad was the madman now. "Why are you doing this?"

Fahad slowly walked up to him, his face calm and betraying no emotion. But everything changed in the blink of an eye. Fahad's face turned furious and he lashed out, striking Aladdin right under his eye. He let out a small cry, both of pain and surprise, then tried to focus on slowing down his breathing. He was terrified, and he needed to calm down. Aladdin could feel blood falling from a gash that he could feel running across his cheekbone, likely from Fahad's ring.

"Hey!" Genie shouted when Fahad took a hold of Aladdin's neck again. He didn't squeeze like he had before, he just held him still, but even the slight pressure on the massive bruises caused him to wince.

"I don't take orders from worthless street rats! I don't answer to you!" Fahad shouted. He quickly turned around to Genie, dropping his hand from Aladdin's throat. "And you," he seethed. "You are going to do exactly what I tell you, unless you want to watch me to break his pretty little face and every bone in his body."

"What do you want?" Genie growled, giving Fahad a glare that would have most cowering a corner.

But Fahad glared right back, and said to Genie, "you're going to make me sultan."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I saw Aladdin for the sixth time yesterday, so that was fun. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

* * *

"Something's wrong," Jasmine said, wringing her hands together. "Something has to be wrong. It's been two hours and Genie still isn't back, and neither is Carpet. We still don't know what happened to Aladdin either, something is very wrong." She stood up and began to pace, looking all around the room as if her husband and friends would just appear out of nothing.

"What would you like to do?" Dalia asked, coming to stand right next to her sultan. She was starting to become just as worried as Jasmine, but she had to stay strong. If something really was wrong, and their husbands really were in danger, then she would have to be strong. Jasmine may have been sultan, but she was still so young, and Dalia had to be strong for her, just like she always had been.

"I don't know," Jasmine replied, looking up towards the ceiling in a clear effort to push her emotions aside. "What am I supposed to do? I know I can order the guards to swarm the streets and look for them, but should I?" Jasmine flopped back down onto her bed and sighed. Dalia sat down next to her and rested her arm around the sultan's shoulders.

"We're going to find them, okay?" she said as she gently began to rub Jasmine's back. "I suggest we give them one more hour, and if they're not back by then, we send the guards out."

Jasmine sighed, and nodded. "You're right, you're right," she repeated. "That's a good plan." She stood up and let out a deep breath. "They'll be fine."

Dalia hated seeing Jasmine so worried. She'd been taking care of the girl ever since she was a young teenager herself, and had been with her through the loss of the queen. It was terrible on the whole kingdom, but Dalia couldn't even imagine the pain of losing a mother. Now Jasmine had lost her father too, making her an orphan, just like Aladdin. Jasmine couldn't lose Aladdin too, Dalia could not let that happen. She tried not to think about losing Gene herself. It wasn't time to worry about herself, she had to take care of Jasmine. She could worry about herself and Gene later.

"You should eat something," she suggested. "You were waiting for Aladdin to eat, but that was hours ago, and you still haven't eaten."

"How can I eat when something like this is wrong, when I don't know what happened to them?" Jasmine asked, turning to Dalia with hurt in her eyes. Dalia knew it wasn't directed at her, just at the situation. She just gave her a sad smile, trying to let her know that it was okay. After a moment, Jasmine sighed, then nodded. "You're right," she muttered. "As usual." At least now Jasmine gave her a soft smile.

The two walked out of Jasmine's royal chambers, and to the dining areas, where food was ready at all hours. They ate in near silence, with Dalia nearly having to force Jasmine to finish her plate. That did give her a fond smile at the memories of having to do the same thing to a much younger Jasmine, but the humor soon ended, because this time, it wasn't because Jasmine was being a stubborn child who didn't want to eat her vegetables, but because she was too worried about her husband to have an appetite. Eventually, Dalia managed to convince Jasmine that she would be better able to help Aladdin and Gene if she kept herself healthy, and ate a good meal.

"That's it," Jasmine said, abruptly setting down her silverware and standing. "I'm sending out the guards."

Dalia didn't reply, and just followed Jasmine towards Hakim. She was relieved, but she couldn't let her sultan know just how relieved. It was her job to be a pillar of strength, and a pillar of strength she would be. Besides, Gene was strong, so strong, and he would be okay. Despite her worry for him, she was a bit more worried about Aladdin. It wasn't that the king wasn't strong, because he was, but that he was small. Gene was very tall and broad shouldered, while Aladdin was kind of short, and slim. He was well built, and very fast, but if someone did manage to catch him, it would be difficult for Aladdin to overpower them, whereas Gene was both larger and stronger than most others, and would be more easily able to fight back against almost anyone. Dalia stopped in her tracks. But Gene was still gone. Gene still hadn't come back, so something really must have been wrong. Should she be just as worried for him as for Aladdin?

Dalia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It wasn't the time to panic. Jasmine needed her to be strong. She could always cry alone in her quarters that night if she needed to, but she would not lose it in front of Jasmine. Dalia took a few quick steps to catch up with her.

"Hakim," Jasmine said. "I need you to send out a full squadron of men into Agrabah. Aladdin and Genie are both missing, you have to find them. When Aladdin left here, he went to the block around his old home, so start there. Find them, and keep me updated," she ordered, her voice firm and commanding.

"Yes, your majesty," Hakim replied with a slight bow, then left.

Jasmine deflated as soon as he was out of sight. "They have to find them," she whispered.

"And they will," Dalia replied. She began to gently rub Jasmine's back, and started leading her back to her quarters. The girl needed to rest. Being that worried was exhausting. "Hakim and his men are the best, you know that," she insisted.

"You're right, you're right," Jasmine sighed. She nodded, then kept her head held high.

As the two made their back to Jasmine's chambers, Carpet came flying in front of them, gesturing wildly, and much too quickly for either one of them to be able to make heads or tails of what he was trying to say. Dalia glanced around, hoping to see Gene or Aladdin close behind, but neither one of them appeared. Finally, likely due to their confused stares, Carpet finally stopped.

"Where's Genie? Did you find Aladdin?" Jasmine asked, hope in her voice. Dalia had a feeling that those hopes were about to be dashed.

Carpet deflated, and shook his upper half side to side in an obvious 'no'.

"What happened?" Dalia added. "Where's Gene?" Why hadn't he returned with Carpet? The two had left together, so where was he now?

Carpet raised up his tassels in a shrug, and Dalia's heart broke. What was going on? Not for the first time, Dalia wished that Carpet could speak. That would make all of this so much easier. She glanced at Jasmine, who was staring up at the ceiling again clearly trying to breath slowly and control her emotions.

"It's going to be okay," Dalia assured her. "We'll find them, I promise." She knew she should never promise something like that, but she couldn't help it. She would do anything to assure this girl that everything was going to be okay, even if that meant she had to give her false hope. Dalia just hoped that it wouldn't prove to be false after all.

Jasmine breathed deeply, her hands falling with her breath. "I know. Hakim is the best, he'll bring them back safely. Now, I'd prefer to be alone for a while, if you don't mind," she said, stepping into her chambers. Dalia knew she was only saying that so she could let her emotions out in private while maintaining the image of the strong sultan, and it broke her heart even more. Jasmine should've known that Dalia would never judge her for having emotions, especially for something like that. Still, she deserved her privacy when she wanted it.

"Of course," she replied with a small smile. Dalia leaned forward and gave Jasmine a hug, letting the sultan rest her head on Dalia's shoulder. She held her there for a moment, letting go as soon as Jasmine pulled back. "I'll be in my quarters if you need anything, anything at all."

"Thank you," Jasmine softly replied, then shut the door between them.

Dalia sighed, then made her way to her own quarters. But without Gene, they were far too quiet. She glanced at the few belongings that Gene had amassed, including his old lamp. It really was a beautiful lamp, despite it's simplicity. Dalia picked it up, examining the brass. She halfheartedly rubbed at it, wishing that Gene would come from the lamp like he used to. Of course, he didn't. Flopping down onto her bed, Dalia took a deep breath. What if something really was so terribly wrong that she never saw her husband again? They were supposed to travel the world together, to have children, to sail around on their boat. She couldn't imagine never getting to do that with him. Dalia closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall, but she didn't make any other move to stop them. There was no need. No one else was there to see her. She didn't have to be strong while she was alone. Dalia held the lamp close, and let the tears fall. Gene needed to be okay. He had to be. Ever since she met him, Dalia couldn't imagine life without him.

* * *

"You want me to what?" Genie repeated. There was no way that he had heard Fahad correctly. There was no way that two madmen in the span of only a few months were willing to commit terrible crimes in order to steal the throne from the rightful rulers of Agrabah. Genie glanced over at Aladdin. He felt rage bubbling up inside him at the sight of the blood on the kid's face from Fahad's strike, and the finger shaped bruising on his neck, but at least he was okay enough to look just as confused as Genie was.

"You heard me," Fahad seethed. "A woman does not belong on the throne, and this street rat will never be worthy of anything, especially not the title of king. I am a sheikh, and I will not let Agrabah be defiled by this worthless boy and a girl as sultan. It is my duty to rectify this sin, since no one else has been brave enough to do anything about it. They are content to let their kingdom fall, but I am not." Fahad stared down at Genie, his eyes blazing. Genie glared right on back. Two could play at that game. "So, you will use your magic to make me sultan, or..." he trailed off, and walked over to Aladdin. "You will watch as I make the street rat scream and suffer more than you ever thought possible. When I am done with him, you will be amazed at what someone can live through." He spun back around and faced Genie, but Genie was more focused on his kid. Aladdin was doing remarkably well. His eyes were wide with fear when Fahad wasn't looking, but he was doing a wonderful job at controlling his breathing and keeping himself calm. At least, he was doing a better job at staying calm than Genie was.

"You're sick," Genie growled. "You are some kind of twisted-"

"Jasmine is a better sultan than you could ever be," Aladdin interrupted, stealing Fahad's attention away from Genie. What was that kid doing? Fahad wouldn't hurt Genie to get him to cooperate, he would hurt Aladdin, so why was the kid fueling that fire? He looked wildly over at Aladdin, who was staring at Fahad with that same fire in his eyes that he stared down Jafar with. Even when it was to his own detriment, the kid had a remarkable ability to speak truth to power. But this time, Genie wished he hadn't.

Just as he had the first time, Fahad snapped maniacally. "Learn your place, boy!" he shouted at Aladdin, pointing a finger at him. He grabbed something from his waist, and swung it at Aladdin. Genie heard the kid gasp in pain, but he couldn't see what Fahad had done, no matter how hard he tried to maneuver to see. "The words of a street rat mean nothing. You mean nothing. The more you speak, the more pain you will be in. I may even cut out your miserable tongue if that's what it takes," Fahad seethed. Genie heard Aladdin grunt, but he still didn't have a line of sight. His heartbeat began to pick up even more, but it would probably do the kid more harm than good for Genie to say anything quite yet. "Your beautiful wife is a woman, and thus has no place being sultan. She should remain as silent as you. But, she is my princess at least, and a distant cousin, so I would never harm her, despite her insolence and delusions of grandeur. At least that's one thing you don't have to worry about," Fahad grumbled. He finally turned around, and Genie could see what he held in his hand. It was a dagger, and along Aladdin's collarbone were twin slashes, both still bleeding freely. Genie's blood boiled once again. No one hurt his kid and got away with it. He needed to make Fahad understand that.

"Look," he said, gaining Fahad's attention. "I can't get you what you want. I barely have any more powers at all now. Those little parlor tricks you see around the palace? That's about it. I can't make you sultan. These enchanted chains weren't even necessary." Anger was growing in Fahad's eyes, but Genie continued. "This is your only chance to get out of this. You let me and the kid go, and maybe you won't be thrown in the dungeon for kidnapping, treason, and assault." Well, he did say 'maybe'.

"You can't get past me," Fahad said, shaking his head. "You may be able to fool others with ease, but not me. I won't be so easily tricked when you lie to me. Maybe a few hours of seeing your king suffer will change your mind." Without warning, Fahad flipped back around and brought his dagger down across Aladdin's chest, leaving a shallow gash. Aladdin gasped in pain once again and flinched back.

"He's telling the truth!" he shouted, his eyes growing wide as Fahad raised the knife back up again, but that only seemed to infuriate the madman more.

"He's right, I'm not lying," Genie pleaded. What was he supposed to do to prove this to him? How was he supposed to prove a negative?

"Silence, street rat!" Fahad screamed. He made several more cuts across Aladdin's chest and torso before turning back around to Genie. "And you," he continued, pointing at him. "We shall see about that." But Genie wasn't paying attention to Fahad. His kid was the one who mattered, and the one who got his attention. Aladdin was breathing heavily, but he made eye contact with Genie. His eyes held clarity, despite the obvious pain he was in. Genie breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he looked back at Fahad, who was still glaring at him. "We shall see about that," he repeated in what was almost a growl. Fahad turned away and walked out the door, slamming and loudly locking it behind him.

Genie immediately looked back to Aladdin. "You okay?" he asked, despite knowing that the kid would claim to be fine, no matter how much blood he was covered with. "And I need you to tell me the truth, I need to know everything he's done to you, okay?"

"I'll be okay," Aladdin replied, his voice still hoarse. He hadn't seen it for himself, but Genie still couldn't get the image of Fahad standing over the kid, holding him down and squeezing his neck until the kid passed out. Just the thought made another wave of fury crash over him. "It's just some cuts, and I don't think any of them are that deep. I've been hurt worse on the streets. I'll be fine," he insisted. Genie didn't even want to think about the possibility that Aladdin might not have been exaggerating. He didn't want to think about the poor kid being attacked on the streets by people who saw him, a poor orphan boy, as an easy target, leaving him hurting and alone and bleeding and scared. But no matter how much he didn't want to think about it, those images came to his mind anyway. Genie pushed them away, and focused on the present.

"I'm so sorry you're caught up in this," he said. "I'm gonna do everything I can to get you out of this, I promise."

"But how? You barely have magic anymore, and even if you did, I could never let you use it to make him sultan, not even to save me," Aladdin insisted, shaking his head.

Genie sighed. The kid was right. What was he supposed to do? He had enough magic left to be the best street magician there ever was with ease, but that was it. Changing reality was too far beyond him at this point. How was he supposed to save Aladdin from this madman who seemed so happy to make him suffer? It had taken so little time for the kid to worm his way so far into Genie's heart that he became the most important thing in his life. He couldn't just sit there and do nothing while his kid was being hurt. But, there was nothing he could do to stop it. Even if he could convince Fahad that he was telling the truth, the madman might just kill Aladdin out of fury, and Genie couldn't handle that. He could never watch the boy die. That just absolutely could not happen.

"I don't know, kid," he muttered, not looking Aladdin in the eye. "I don't know."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I'm sorry for the delay, I thought I would have time to update before I went up north, but I ended up not having that time. But while I was up north, I GOT ENGAGED! It was absolutely beautiful. Anyways, I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

* * *

He tried not to let Genie see it, but Aladdin was scared. No, he was more than scared, he was downright terrified. Even when Jafar was trying to kill him, he still wasn't as scared as he was now, because then, he could actually do something about it, but now, he couldn't even move. His wrists were chained so tightly above him, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. His shirt had already been reduced to shreds, and the cuts that Fahad had given him were still sluggishly bleeding. Aladdin could feel Genie staring at him in concern.

"I'm fine, really," he insisted, even though he didn't even believe it himself. Physically, yes, he would be fine, but the terror he felt at what he knew Fahad would do to him to try to get Genie to do as he wished was something that he would never consider fine.

"I know you're not, kid," Genie softly replied. "I don't know what I'm gonna do, but I promise you that I'm gonna do everything I can to get you out of this, no matter what."

Aladdin just nodded in response. He knew that for some reason, Genie had come to love him, and really would do anything to protect him. That was such a foreign thing for Aladdin. He'd never had anyone love him like that since his mother died and his father vanished. How he came to have Genie and Jasmine and even Dalia in his life, and love him the way they did, it always blew his mind. He would never understand how a worthless street rat like himself got so lucky, but he wouldn't trade it for the world. The downside was that it meant that he could be used against his new family, and that was not okay.

He tried again to pull against his restrains, just a little bit, but they held tight. There was no way that he would be able to slip his hands out of the chains. He was well and truly stuck. With a sigh, Aladdin looked back over at Genie, who just shook his head.

"There's nothing I can do about these, either, kid," he said, lifting up the enchanted chains. "Even without the enchantment on these, there wouldn't be anything I could do. We're gonna have to outsmart our way outta this one."

"How?" Aladdin asked. "You said yourself that you don't have the magic to do anything, so you can't use it to trick him." He couldn't see a way out of this, and after having escaped from the guards day in and day out for nearly his entire life, Aladdin could see a way out of almost everything.

Genie sighed. "I don't know yet," he said with another shake of his head. "All I can think to do is try to reason with him, but even then, I don't trust him to not just kill you."

"And you," Aladdin interjected. "He'll kill you too if he realizes that you can't give him what he wants." It was Genie's possible death that Aladdin was more worried about. He couldn't die without doing all that he planned to. He'd just been freed, and he still had to travel the world with Dalia, and have kids with her, and get to grow old, like humans did. Genie couldn't die without getting the chance to do that. Aladdin just couldn't let that happen.

"Yeah, yeah," Genie admitted. "He'll probably kill me too, but you're king, so you're just a bit more important," he said with a sarcastic smile. Aladdin couldn't help but smile back.

"I am not more important, and you know it," he replied, a smile still on his face. "How about neither one of us dies? How does that sound?"

"Sounds good to me, let's go with that," Genie said, nodding.

Still, that didn't leave them with much of a plan, or any plan at all, really. They were both too restrained to escape, so all they could do was wait until Fahad decided to come back and continue where he left off. Aladdin shuddered. He didn't even want to think about what the madman would do, and the man was clearly mad, in more ways than one.

"Jasmine must be so worried," he muttered. It was to her that his thoughts kept returning. He may have been called a diamond in the rough, but it was Jasmine that truly was the shimmering jewel. Her intellect, strength, leadership, and beauty were unmatched. Aladdin still couldn't believe that she had chosen him, but he loved her with every fiber of his being. At least she wasn't there to witness his pain. He never wanted her to see him like this, and he definitely didn't want her to be hurt. She was everything to him, and it was his one solace that she was back at the palace, safe and sound.

"Yes, I'm sure she is, but your girl is strong," Genie replied. "Jasmine will be okay until you get back, and then she's gonna kill you for making her worry so much," he finished with a smile. Aladdin couldn't help but smile and shake his head, because Genie was totally right. Jasmine could kick his butt, and that was just one of the many things that he loved about her. "And I'm sure that Dalia is doing everything she can to help her stay strong. Those girls are so much stronger than people think they are." Aladdin nodded again. A lot of people didn't think that women were strong at all, but the only women in his life were probably stronger than he was himself, so he didn't exactly buy that. Still, he just wanted to get back to his wife.

Aladdin was torn from his thoughts of holding his wife in his arms by the sound of the locks on the door being undone. He jerked his head up and stared at the door, his breathing picking up unintentionally. He quickly looked back and forth between the door and Genie, his eyes wide. He needed to calm down. Taking a deep breath, Aladdin closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again, facing the door. Everything was going to be fine. No matter what happened, he could handle it. He'd been through so much on the streets, so whatever Fahad did to him, he could handle it.

The door opened with a loud creak, and Fahad stepped through, holding what looked like a whip at his side - it was hard to tell in the dim moonlight. Aladdin tried not to shudder at the sight. He could get through this, he really could. Taking another deep breath and trying to calm his heart rate, Aladdin stared straight at Fahad. He would not let himself cower. He would not let Fahad think him a coward as well as everything else he thought of him.

"This is your last chance," Fahad said, looking at Genie. "Do as I command, or the boy gets as many lashes as I please." Aladdin looked over at Genie and shook his head, but Genie didn't seem to notice. His eyes were wide, and he looked more scared than Aladdin.

"I can't, I physically cannot help you," he pleaded. "You have to understand, I don't have that kind of magic anymore. Don't hurt the kid, he hasn't done anything to deserve this, please," he begged, but Aladdin knew it wasn't going to work.

"Fine," Fahad replied with a scowl. "You're leaving me no choice. Just remember, I'm not the one doing this to him, it's you." Fahad turned and cracked the whip in the air, seemingly just to make Aladdin flinch. It worked, and Fahad laughed. It was a low, terrifying sound, that chilled Aladdin to the bone. He walked around to stand behind his captive, and Aladdin couldn't keep himself calm anymore. He tried pulling at his restraints again, but they held tight. There was nowhere for him to move to avoid the whip. There was nothing he could do to stop this from happening.

"You don't have to do this, he's telling the truth," he rushed out, even though he knew that Fahad had only been getting more angry every time he spoke. What else was he supposed to do?

"Silence, street rat!" Fahad screamed at him, bringing the whip down on his back at the exact same time, to accentuate his words. Aladdin managed to keep his cry of pain inside, but he didn't know how long he would be able to do that. "Have you not learned-". A lash. "That your words-". Another lash. "Mean nothing-". Another. "You worthless filth." Yet another.

"It's the truth!" Genie shouted again. "I can't help you!"

Aladdin could hear him struggling against his own chains, and he tried to focus on that instead of the intense fire on his back. It was as if Fahad had doused him with kerosene and set him alight. Maybe that would've been less painful.

Finally, Aladdin couldn't stop a cry from escaping, and it was all downhill from there. The pain seemed to intensify with every lash, the number of which he'd long lost count of. The fire continued to burn, and traveled to his throat. The dull throb there turned to a bright blaze with every scream, and it only got worse. Fahad was barely even giving him time to breathe between lashes, much less beg him to stop. He could faintly hear what sounded like Genie shouting, but the pain didn't ease up, and the roaring in his ears was all that he could hear for sure. There was a dampness on his face that he didn't know the source of. It could've been sweat or tears from the intense pain. For the first time, Aladdin was sure that he had never been in more pain in his entire life. He couldn't handle this, he really couldn't. He just wanted it to stop, why wouldn't Fahad stop? Just stop, stop, please stop. His screams turned into choked off sobs, and he could feel blood flowing from his wrists from where the chains were cutting him due to his fervent struggles.

Then the pain stopped getting more intense. The lashes stopped. His back still burned, but there was no new burn, of a new lash. Hesitantly, Aladdin forced his eyes open - when had they closed? - and immediately sought out Genie, because somehow, in the last few months, Genie had become a support system, his comforter, and protector. Even now, with more blood dripping down his back than Aladdin thought he had in his entire body, his eyes sought out Genie to give him that comfort.

"Look at your precious king now," Fahad growled. It may have been the pain or the moonlight playing tricks on him, but Aladdin thought he saw tears in Genie's eyes as well. Fahad didn't say anything else. He glared at Genie for a moment, then stalked out of the room, dragging his bloody whip behind him. The door closed once again, the heavy locks sounding, and reminding them once again of their helplessness.

"I'm so sorry," Genie said shakily. "This never should've happened to you, I'm so sorry, and I'm so sorry I couldn't stop it," he said. Aladdin was sure that Genie was crying as much as him now. "You deserve so much better than this, and I promise, as soon as I can, I'm going to get you out of here and I'm gonna kill him for this. He should die for this."

"It's not your fault," Aladdin forced out. He took a deep breath against the pain. "None of this is on you, just him." He didn't have the energy to say anything else. The pain was both excruciating and exhausting - or maybe it was the blood loss that was exhausting, Aladdin had heard that blood loss could do that - and all he wanted to do was sleep in that bed in the palace that felt like heaven. He'd never gotten as good of sleep anywhere as he got at the palace. His bed was just so comfortable, with as many blankets and pillows as he desired. Jasmine didn't mind if he snuggled the pillows in his sleep, or if he slept with more blankets in the summer than most living in Agrabah ever would even in the winter. Speaking of winter, Aladdin was shivering. He was just so cold. Maybe he could sleep, just for a little bit.

"Hey, no no no no, don't you fall asleep on me," Genie said. "Don't you dare, kid." Aladdin tried to do as he asked and keep his eyes open, but it was just so hard. "I know it's hard, kiddo, but you have to," Genie said. Had Aladdin said that outloud?

"'M sorry," he muttered. For what, he wasn't quite sure, but he was sure there was a reason somewhere for him to be sorry. This was all his fault, somehow, but Aladdin didn't have the energy to figure out why, he just knew it was. He was a street rat, so he was always blamed for everything, and probably for good reason.

"You don't have nothin' to be sorry about, kiddo," Genie said. "None of this is on you, either. If it's not my fault, then it's definitely not yours, alright?"

Aladdin looked up bleakly at him, but nodded. "Okay," he muttered. He was still just so tired.

"I know you're tired, but you gotta stay awake," Genie pleaded with him. "How 'bout you tell me a story? How 'bout you tell me about what exactly went through your mind the first time you ever laid eyes on Jasmine? Now you gotta set the whole scene, and don't leave out a single detail."

He knew Genie was just asking for that story to try to keep him awake, but it was about the first time he ever saw the love of his life, so of course he would tell that story. Jasmine was everything to him, and the whole world deserved to hear the story of how she completely took his breath away, and had been taking it every day since.

"Well," he muttered, then cleared his throat, which was a big mistake. He let out a small cry of pain at the fire that once again flared up, then took a few deep breaths. He would be okay, he just needed to calm down. He was gonna be fine. Genie was staring at him with worry again, but Aladdin tried to ignore that. "Well," he started again, just a little louder. "It was late in the morning, and Abu and I had just run away from some guards..."


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Sorry for another delay. August has been a hectic month. But I'm back at school now, and should have more time to write. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

* * *

It was morning, and the guards still hadn't found Aladdin or Genie. They'd scoured the streets, and found nothing. Jasmine had barely slept, her worry for her husband keeping her awake throughout most of the night. She was sure that Dalia had had a similar experience, if the shadows under her eyes were anything to go by. Jasmine just couldn't believe that they'd found absolutely nothing. It didn't make any sense. Genie and Aladdin couldn't just disappear. Genie didn't have enough magic left to do something like that, and he would never whisk the two of them away like that even if he could.

"Go back out there, and keep looking," Jasmine ordered Hakim. "Have every single guard on high alert. This is the top priority. Nothing takes precedent over finding them. I don't care what prejudices they may have against my husband, they will spare no expense in finding him, so make sure Razoul knows that," she finished with a glare. Hakim didn't deserve to take the brunt of her anger and fear, but she needed an outlet, and he was right there, able to take it.

"Yes, your majesty," Hakim answered with a slight bow. There was nothing but kindness in his eyes, and if Jasmine was being honest, it helped. It reminded her that no matter what happened, Hakim was there for her, ready to help.

She nodded at the man, then folded her arms together, and walked away. She needed a minute to herself. It was a beautiful day, much cooler than most summer days in Agrabah were. Jasmine should've been enjoying it with Aladdin, but instead, she was worried sick about him, staring out at the city. Somewhere, he was out there, maybe hurt, maybe needing her more than ever, and she wasn't there. Jasmine closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Hopefully, wherever he was, Genie was with him, keeping him safe. Genie loved her husband like no one else. He treated Aladdin like a son, and showed him love that only a father could. Of course, he would one day have children of his own with Dalia, hopefully, but Jasmine was certain that Aladdin would always be treated as his child, no matter how many kids Genie had.

Jasmine jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"They'll find them," Dalia said, hope and grief mixing in her eyes. "We have to believe that, no matter what." It sounded like she was on the verge of tears. Jasmine took another deep breath to keep herself from the same thing.

"They have to," she replied. "I just feel so powerless." She turned to face her friend, running her hands through her unkempt hair. She had no meetings or urgent matters to attend to, and thus, had no reason to put in the effort to look like a perfect sultan. She would have to eventually, whether Aladdin was found or not, but for the time being, she wouldn't waste time on such trivial things like appearance when it truly didn't matter. "There's nothing I can do to find him, and we may be running out of time. People rarely ever go missing like this, and when they do, they're almost never found."

"That's true," Dalia admitted. "But usually that's because they were taken by slavers, and there haven't been slavers here in Agrabah in months, not since you became sultan." She rested her hands on Jasmine's shoulders. "There is some reason why they're missing, and we're going to figure it out, and find them."

"But what if it's Jafar? What if, somehow, Jafar is back and he's behind this? What if-"

"Shhhhhh," Dalia softly interrupted. "Even if that's true, which I doubt, we'll take care of him just like we did last time." She gave Jasmine a small smile. "Aladdin is smart. Growing up on the streets he had to be, and he can get himself out of anything, especially with Gene by his side. You know that Gene would walk through fire for that boy. They're going to be okay." Dalia dropped one of her hands, and slid her arm around Jasmine's back, turning them both out to look across the city. "They'll be just fine," she said, almost in a whisper.

Jasmine nodded, folding her arms again, as if she were cold. She just had to believe that Dalia was right. She didn't have another choice.

* * *

Genie didn't know what he was supposed to do, either in that moment, or in general in their situation. He knew it wasn't a good idea for Aladdin to fall asleep, but he couldn't just keep him talking about Jasmine forever. It had worked for a while, but the kid was slurring his words and slowing down considerably. Genie had to get him out of here, back to the palace and back to safety. The poor kid didn't deserve any of this.

"Come on, kid, look at me," Genie gently pleaded. "Look at me, Al, just keep your eyes on me, and stay awake."

Aladdin nodded, but he didn't respond. He just looked so exhausted, almost to the point where Genie felt guilty asking for him to stay awake, even though it was the best thing for him.

The sound of the door unlocking once more had Genie's attention snapping over to the door. It couldn't have been more than an hour. Fahad couldn't be ready to hurt Aladdin even more. The madman was going to kill him if he didn't give the kid at least a little bit more time to rest and recover. He quickly glanced over at Aladdin, who, to his credit, had his head lifted high.

Fahad walked through the open door, his hands clasped behind his back. The small window in their prison didn't provide enough light to show what he was holding, but Genie knew it couldn't be anything good. The man gazed around the room as if bored, taking passing glances at his silent captives before finally sighing and letting his gaze fall once again on Aladdin.

"You're a street rat, and that's the only thing you'll ever be," he calmly said, a stark contrast from the way he spat out the same words earlier. "Razoul told me all about your time stealing from honest people, lining your pockets with the hard earned wealth of others, taking whatever you wanted without pay."

"I only took what I needed to survive, never anything that wasn't necessary," Aladdin interrupted.

Genie cringed, both from knowing that that was a slight lie - Aladdin stole an oud many years earlier, and that wasn't technically necessary, but it was a reminder of his mother, so Genie didn't fault him for it, and he didn't know of anything else the kid had taken that he didn't need - and that Fahad would likely explode on Aladdin once again for speaking.

But Fahad surprised him. Instead of striking the kid, Fahad simply sighed and shook his head.

"Whatever the case, you are a dirty thief, and a worthless street rat." He paused for a moment, looking up at Aladdin's chained wrists before continuing. "Punishments for thieves have been strong as long as civilized society has existed. Imprisonment or even death have been considered suitable, as well as severing the hands. You are a thief, and yet, you take the title of king, instead of prisoner. You are not dead, and you still have both of your hands."

Genie gulped nervously. Where was Fahad going with this? What did any of this have to do with Genie helping or not helping him to take over Agrabah? Genie had the feeling that something terrible was about to happen, and he dreaded to think what.

"I think," Fahad started, his voice taking a much darker and vicious tone, and rising in volume. "It is time to remedy that!" he shouted, pulling whatever he had been holding behind him out and into the sparse light. It was a small saw. Fahad quickly brought the saw up to Aladdin's wrists and held it there, then looked at Genie. "Do as I say or I'll cut his hands off!" he screamed at him.

"Hey, no no no, stop, please!" Aladdin shouted at him, trying to pull away and kicking out with all his strength. "Don't do this!"

"Let him go!" Genie screamed at the same time. "Just let him go, he's not a part of this!"

"I'll do it!" Fahad repeated. He gripped Aladdin's arm in one hand, and the saw with the other, and began to move. Aladdin cried out in pain, then screamed and begged Fahad to stop once more. "You deserve this and so much more!" Fahad shouted at the kid as he cut him deeper and deeper. Genie kept shouting obscenities at the madman, but he wasn't stopping.

"Fine, fine, you win!" Genie shouted above the noise of Fahad's crazed ravings and Aladdin's cries of pain. "I'll do whatever you want, just stop!"

And finally, Fahad did. He dropped the bloody saw on the ground and turned to Genie.

"It's good to see you finally come to your senses," he said, then stormed out of the room, loudly closing the door behind him.

Aladdin's breath was coming in quick gasps. He was hyperventilating. He was having a panic attack, and there was nothing Genie could do but talk to him.

"Al, Al, kid, calm down, you're okay, you're gonna be just fine," Genie lied, tears coming to his eyes. He had no idea if the kid was gonna be fine or not. Aladdin had lost so much blood already, and now even more was freely flowing from the outside of his right wrist. There was no way for him to know how deeply Fahad had cut him. He could be well on his way to bleeding out, and Genie couldn't do anything to stop it. "Focus on my voice, just focus on me, breath in and out, you're gonna be okay, alright, kid?" Aladdin was staring at him, terror and pain in his eyes. "Deep breaths, kiddo, everything is gonna be fine, you're gonna be okay. Just focus on me, focus on me." What else was Genie supposed to do? This wasn't something he ever thought he would ever have to deal with. How was he supposed to help his kid when he couldn't even touch him to physically ground him?

Slowly, so slowly, Aladdin's breathing slowed back down. He was taking large, shuddering breaths, but they were more normally spaced. The kid had tears in his eyes, but he looked like he was finally okay.

"How you doin'?" Genie hesitantly asked after another moment.

Aladdin took another deep, shuddering breath before answering, "I'll be o-okay." He moved the hand on his wounded wrist, then let out a gasp of pain. "I think I'll be okay," he said, closing his eyes against the pain.

"How deep did he cut?" Aladdin's wrist was still bleeding, but not quite as badly as before, so maybe he would be okay.

"You shouldn't have done that," Aladdin replied, completely ignoring Genie's question. "Once he finds out that you were telling the truth, that you really can't help him, he'll kill us both."

"I couldn't just sit here and watch him kill you," Genie quickly said. "If I hadn't gotten him to stop, he would've cut off both your hands and you would bleed out in seconds. Do not ask me to sit by and watch you die, bleeding out with your hands cut off, screaming. Do not," he said, almost in a growl. "You mean the world to me. I could never let that happen, and I won't. I'll figure something out, and you're gonna be okay. I'm gonna get you out of this, I promise. I don't know how yet, but I will. I swear on my life I will get you out of this. I'm not gonna let him hurt you again."

Aladdin stared at him, nothing but trust in his eyes. Genie didn't deserve that trust. He hadn't been able to save Aladdin from Jafar, and he hadn't been able to stop Fahad from torturing him either. Why should Aladdin believe that Genie could save him now? And yet, Genie knew that the kid did believe him. The kid trusted him like no other, and Genie could not understand why. Why was he worthy of that trust? In his own opinion, he wasn't. He hadn't done enough to earn that trust, but he would spend every waking moment trying to to.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I don't really have much to say this time. I'm getting back into the swing of things at school, so updates should become more regular. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

* * *

Trying to breathe through the pain was easier said than done. Everything hurt, his wrist most of all. He didn't think that Fahad had cut him deep enough to cause permanent damage, but he couldn't be sure. His back still throbbed, but that would heal eventually, that he knew for sure. With his wrist, there was no way to know without a healer looking at it. But at least Genie was okay. That was what mattered most to Aladdin. Genie still had so much to do with his life.

The door opened again, and Aladdin barely kept himself from flinching back. Genie had already agreed to help him, so what could he possibly want? Fahad was carrying a ring of keys, and he looked pointedly at Genie.

"I'll release you from the chains so you may do as I say, but remember, if you try anything, I'll finish what I started with the boy," he threatened. "Do you understand?"

"At least let me help him first," Genie pleaded. "I've already agreed to help you, at least let me get him somewhere comfortable and treat him. If he dies, then you have no leverage."

Fahad appeared to ponder his options for a moment, and Aladdin elected to stay silent. It wouldn't do him any good at this point to speak. The man walked around him, seemingly examining the very wounds he inflicted. The thought made Aladdin bristle. Who was this man to look at the damage he had done without a single bit of remorse in his eyes? Yes, Aladdin was a street rat, but he was also a human being, and didn't that entitle him to just a shred of dignity and respect? According to Fahad, it didn't seem so.

"I suppose I could allow you to clean up his lashes a bit. The smell of infection is quite unappetizing, after all," he said, turning his nose up at Aladdin.

"Well maybe you should've thought of that before," Aladdin growled, not quite being able to stop himself. He glared at the man, daring him with his eyes to act and do something about Aladdin's rebellion. But just like the time before, Fahad merely shook his head and sighed - a stark contrast to his previous outbursts. The man was nothing if not completely unpredictable.

Fahad stepped over to Genie and unlocked the enchanted chains, which glittered as they fell to the floor. Magic, even magic meant to contain other magic, was beautiful, and Aladdin couldn't help but stare in fascination. Genie slowly stood, looking at Fahad but his body directed towards Aladdin. He walked over to him, clearly keeping Fahad in his sights. Finally, he turned completely away from Fahad, and gave all of his attention to Aladdin. There was such sorrow in his eyes.

"I'm okay," Aladdin muttered, but Genie clearly didn't believe him - not that he should have, since it was in fact a lie, and Aladdin was very far from okay.

Genie reached up and grasped the chain in his hands, carefully lifting it off the hook and letting Aladdin's feet come to fully rest on the ground. He slowly brought Aladdin's bound hands down in front of him, probably knowing how much they would ache after being stuck in that same position for so long. Aladdin closed his eyes against the pain of his muscles cramping, and tried to focus on standing up straight. He could do this. He was going to be fine.

"I gotcha, kid," Genie whispered, taking just a strong enough hold of his shoulders to help him stand upright. "I'm gonna take care of you. You're gonna be okay." He turned his head just enough to be able to clearly speak to Fahad. "Keys," he seethed.

"You're lucky I'm letting you attend to him at all," Fahad replied. "The chains stay."

"What do you think he's gonna do?" Genie immediately snapped back. "Do you honestly think he's in a position to be able to do anything? Besides, I need to clean his wrists, the chains broke the skin."

Fahad walked closer, and Aladdin took a step back in reflex, but Genie stood directly in front of him, one arm held out as if to protect him from the man. "You should watch what you say to me," Fahad said. "I can still kill the street rat, and you can't stop me." Despite his words, he held out the key, and hesitantly, Genie took it. He turned around and immediately unlocked the chains around Aladdin's wrists, letting them fall to the floor.

"I'm not gonna let him hurt you again," Genie whispered, but they both knew that he might not being able to stop him.

For the first time, Aladdin got a good look at the gash on his wrist. It was deep, and maybe still bleeding a bit - it was difficult to tell in the low light - but Aladdin didn't know what they were going to do about it. It wasn't as if Fahad was going to let them go to a healer.

Gently, Genie put his arm around Aladdin's shoulders, and turned to Fahad. "I need a bed for him," Genie said. "And all the medical supplies you have."

Fahad didn't reply, but motioned with his head out the door, and started walking. Genie gently put one of Aladdin's arms around his shoulders, and helped him to walk. This was the first time that he had seen the outside of their prison, so Aladdin was sure to pay attention to anything that might help him to escape. The hallway looked normal enough, despite being sparse, but all he could see out the windows was sand. Fahad led them to a small room, just as sparsely decorated as the hallway, with only a cabinet and a bed. It wasn't exactly what Aladdin had expected to see in the home of a nobleman, but then again, there was no guarantee that they were in Fahad's home.

Genie gently sat Aladdin down on the bed, and helped him to take off the remains of his tattered tunic. It was torn to shreds anyway, and now soaked with blood.

"Step aside, jinn," Fahad said. Aladdin looked over at him, as did Genie. The man was holding a pair of shackles in his hands. "I'll let you heal him, but that doesn't mean he gets to be free, so step aside, or I will continue where I left off."

With a scowl, Genie did as Fahad said, but stayed close to Aladdin. He kept a hand on his shoulder, gentle but reassuring. Fahad stepped closer, and took a harsh hold of Aladdin's ankle, a stark contrast to Genie's hand on his shoulder. The man chained his ankle to the foot of the bed, then turned and left.

"I'm so sorry, kid," Genie muttered, shaking his head.

"None of this is your fault," Aladdin quickly replied. "You're the one who convinced him to let you take care of my wrists and back, not me." Still, he hated the sight of the chain attached to his leg, a reminder that even though Fahad wasn't currently hurting him, he was still under the man's control. "And I know you're gonna get us out of this too. You're a genie, remember?" he added with a smile.

Genie broke a smile. "Only kind of," he said. "But you're right, I am gonna get you out of this, somehow."

He broke off when Fahad came back into the room, this time carrying a canvas bag and a bottle of wine. Once again, Genie stood between Aladdin and Fahad. Aladdin could see him tensing as Fahad got closer and set the bag on the bed next to him, and the wine on a small table.

"You have twenty minutes," Fahad grumbled, then turned, and stormed away, slamming the door behind him.

Genie immediately started rifling through the bag, pulling out this and that. Having grown up on the streets, Aladdin wasn't exactly used to getting real treatment for anything. Any sickness or injury he had, had to be dealt with alone. He couldn't afford the luxury of medical care, and stealing food was a lot easier than stealing medical supplies. Therefore, Aladdin had no idea what all of the herbs Genie was pulling out of the bag were for, or even what some of them were at all. He was still digging through the bag, and he didn't look happy.

"You've gotta be kidding," Genie grumbled, shaking his head as he continued to rifle through the bag.

"What's wrong?" Aladdin hesitantly asked. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to know, but he had to ask.

Genie looked at him with regret. "There's nothing here for the pain. I can't do anything to help with that," he said.

Aladdin nodded, and looked away. It wasn't as if he had been expecting something like that, so really, it wasn't a big loss. He'd never had the luxury of medicine for pain before, so why should now be any different?

"Okay," he finally replied. "Let's just get this over with then." Aladdin held out his wounded wrist and took a deep breath. He knew this was probably going to hurt just as much as the initial injury had.

"There's nothing for you to bite down on either," Genie said with a shake of his head. "Try not to break your teeth or cut your tongue, okay, kid?"

Aladdin nodded. "Just do it," he said, begin to fidget in nervousness. This was going to be bad. Genie took a deep breath, and a gentle but firm hold of Aladdin's arm, and poured the wine over it. Aladdin immediately jerked his arm back and let out a loud cry of pain, but Genie's grip was firm, and he continued to pour wine over the wound, cleaning it out. He slammed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth, but couldn't stop the moans of pain from escaping.

"I know it hurts, kiddo, I know, I know, I'm almost done, I promise," Genie rambled. Finally, he stopped, and set the wine bottle back down. Aladdin slowly opened his eyes and glanced over at the bottle, almost wishing to take a sip. The bottle was much more full than he would've thought it would be after pouring what felt like so much of it over his wrist, but it was still mostly full. The pain had made it feel like Genie had been pouring the wine for several minutes, but it had to have been only a few seconds. "You just relax for minute, then I'll get that wrapped up," Genie said. Aladdin just nodded. He didn't have the energy to do much else. If after all that wine and pain, he still got an infection, he wasn't going to be very happy.

A minute later, Genie was telling him to brace himself again as he applied the herbal poultice to his wrist. It hurt, but not nearly as much as the wine had. Genie wrapped his wrist so tightly that Aladdin could almost feel his blood rushing in it, but that was kind of the point, to keep it from bleeding again. His other wrist was wrapped too, but not nearly as tightly, since that was just to keep the more minor cuts caused by the chains clean.

It was his back that Aladdin was really dreading, and it was his back that Genie had to take care of next. This time, Aladdin was going to go through with his earlier whim.

"Can I get a sip of that?" he asked, trying to keep the fake smile on his face, if only for Genie's sake.

As predicted, Genie let out a small chuckle and fondly shook his head, but handed the bottle to Aladdin, who took in a large gulp.

"Did that help?" Genie asked.

"It didn't hurt," Aladdin replied, his smile a real one this time. But as he stared at the bottle, his smile quickly fell. He was in for a lot of pain.

"You're gonna have to get on your stomach so I can clean your back now," Genie muttered, sounding almost as defeated as Aladdin felt.

He nodded, then carefully turned to lie down. The chain attached to his ankle clinked as he moved, making Aladdin cringe, but that was the least of his problems at the moment. He took a deep breath, and preemptively closed his eyes.

"Do it," he said, his voice shaking just a little bit, hopefully not enough for Genie to have heard it.

The whole world flashed with white hot pain and an earsplitting scream, then total darkness.

* * *

And Genie thought his heart couldn't break any more. He was wrong. It shattered his heart to hear his kid screaming in pain, pain caused by Genie's own hands, even though it was necessary. It still felt wrong. As much as he hated the fact that it meant that his pain was just too unbearable, Genie was glad that Aladdin passed out. That meant that he wasn't in pain, and Genie didn't have to listen to the kid scream anymore.

He continued to pour the wine over the lashes, not caring in the least that this bed Fahad owned would be destroyed by it. Aladdin was the only thing in the world that mattered in that moment. As soon as he was done, he finished off the wine himself, quickly chugging the last few ounces. The poultice was easy enough to make, mixing the laurels, frankincense, cassia, and myrrh. Spreading it over Aladdin's flayed back wasn't difficult either, but being able to secure the bandages would be difficult with Aladdin being unconscious. He needed the kid to sit up. But this was the first respite from pain the kid had gotten since getting kidnapped, so Genie wasn't going to make any effort at all to wake him. Aladdin was breathing just fine, so that was good enough for Genie. He still had time before Fahad came back, so Genie planned on sitting there with his kid, doing whatever he could to take care of him.

Genie gently sat down right next to the kid, and couldn't resist the urge to run his fingers through Aladdin's hair, brushing his bangs away from his eyes. He was too young for this. He was too young for so much that he had been through, from barely getting by on the streets, to having to deal with the whole Jafar situation, to Fahad's psychotic whims. It wasn't fair.

Only a few minutes later, Aladdin's eyes fluttered open, and he let out a small groan.

"Hey, kid," Genie gently called out. "How you feelin'?" He brushed Aladdin's bangs away a second time, and maybe it was just the pain the kid was in, but Genie could've sworn that the kid leaned into his touch.

"A little better," he muttered, staring up at Genie. "Thanks. I know that was hard for you to do."

Of course that was what Aladdin's mind went to, not his own pain, but how his pain was painful for Genie. That kid was too selfless for his own good. But that was one of the most special things about him. Jafar had called him the "diamond in the rough", and really, he hadn't been wrong. Aladdin was so pure of heart. He always owned up to his mistakes, and did everything he could to help others. He deserved more than what he got, and he deserved to believe in himself the way that he believed in others. For some reason, Aladdin never believed that he was good enough for anything, especially the love of others. Genie would spend the rest of his life trying to convince the kid that he was good enough, and that he deserved all the love in the world.

"I'd do anything for you, kid, you know that," Genie replied, brushing it off. "I hate seeing you hurting, but I'll always do what I have to to take care of you." He rested his hand on Aladdin's shoulder and gently squeezed. He would provide any comfort that he could. "If you're feelin' up to sitting, I can finish wrapping your back," he continued. Aladdin's back was covered by the poultice and a layer of cloth, but another layer needed to be wrapped around his torso in order to keep it in place.

"Sure thing, " Aladdin muttered in reply, then slowly pushed himself up. Genie stayed right there, ready to help if he needed to, but wanting to give the kid the independence that he probably wanted. Once he was seated, it only took a few minutes to finish wrapping his back and securing it in place. Genie had done a good job, but he hated it. He hated that the kid needed his back and wrist wrapped. He hated that the kid had gotten kidnapped because of him. He hated everything about what was going on.

The opening of the door renewed his hatred once more. Fahad walked in, a scowl fixed on his face.

"You've had your chance to heal him, jinn, now it's time to hold up your end of the bargain," Fahad said. Genie stood and took up as much space as he could, subconsciously doing anything he could to protect Aladdin. "If you do what I say, then the boy lives. If you do not, then he suffers and dies. Understood?"

"Fine," Genie growled out through clenched teeth.

"Then come with me, now," Fahad ordered. "The boy can stay here. It's not as if he can go anywhere," he added with a sadistic smile. Genie wasn't so sure about that, but he didn't let his face betray his thoughts. Aladdin had always been good at picking locks. If he could find something to pick it with, there was a chance that he would be able to get to help. But, the less Fahad knew, the better. "Your duties begin, now."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: This chapter might be a little boring, but it was necessary. Although there is something in it that, plot related, that I hadn't planned in the slightest, but I loved the idea, so I'm just rolling with it. I tried to add a bit of lightheartedness and humor too. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

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The moment the door closed, Aladdin began looking around the room. There had to be something he could use to pick the locks and get out. The room was sparsely decorated, but there just had to be something. Aladdin carefully eased himself off the bed, careful not to put any weight on his most injured wrist as he did so, and started to walk around the room. He was quickly stopped by the chain that led from his ankle to the foot of the bed. He could only walk about a foot from the bed before the chain was pulled taut. That certainly wasn't going to help.

Aladdin reached as far as he could, and managed to open the top drawer of the dresser against the wall. He paused, looking at its contents. It was filled with women's clothing, and dust. The drawer clearly hadn't been opened in quite some time, maybe even years. Shaking his head, Aladdin rifled through it, hoping to find jewelry of some kind that he could pick the locks with. The top drawer had nothing but clothes, as far as he could tell. It was difficult to look through it well when he could barely reach it in the first place. He stepped back to the bed, and gripped the bottom of it. Despite the pain flaring up in his wrist, Aladdin pulled the bed closer to the dresser. It worked, and he could now comfortably reach all three drawers of the dresser. He took another look through the first one, just in case he'd missed something, but there were only clothes. They were nice clothes too, the clothes of someone wealthy. Aladdin opened the second drawer, and grinned at the sight: tons, and tons, of expensive looking jewelry. His first instinct was to pocket as much as he could to sell later, but he quickly shook the thought out of his head. He had no need to steal anymore. Still, there had to be something in the jewelry, like a hair pin or something, that he could use to pick the locks. He carefully looked through the necklaces and bracelets and rings, but found nothing. Aladdin groaned in frustration and opened up the third drawer. Half of it was filled with papers, and the one on top caught his eye. It had Fahad's name on it, with a heart right next to it. Aladdin couldn't help himself. He lightly took hold of what looked like a letter, and opened it. In the back of his mind, he felt guilt for looking at something that was clearly personal, but he quickly pushed that out of the way. Fahad had done much worse to him, so it really didn't matter.

Aladdin's reading ability was less than stellar, having never had a formal education of any kind, but from what he could tell, it was a love letter. Someone had written Fahad this love letter. Aladdin set the letter down and grabbed the next one. The handwriting was different. He read what he could, and was amazed at the emotion of it. It was written to someone named Nijah, and it was beautiful. But Fahad wasn't married, and Aladdin had never seen him with or heard him mention a woman.

Shaking his head, Aladdin set the letters down and went back to looking for a lock pick. The other half of the drawer was filled with various personal belongings. His eyes stopped on a wedding ring similar to his own. His fingers touched where his was missing, and he felt a pang in his heart at its absence. He didn't know how, but he was going to get it back from Fahad. Aladdin put the thought of it out of his mind and continued to search. Finally, he found a simple silver hair pin, which was just the right size to fit into the chains to pick the lock. He smiled and lowered himself back onto the bed, and fit the pin into the lock. After a minute of fiddling, the lock fell from his ankle, and the chain followed.

His joy was cut short when he reached the door and turned the knob - well, tried to turn the knob. It was locked, and it was locked from the outside. There wasn't anywhere inside to pick the lock from. Aladdin banged his fist on the door in frustration, then immediately regretted it, shushing himself and quickly backing away. There was no way of knowing how alone he was, so he should remain quiet. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. He could still get out of there.

High on the wall, there was a window. It was small, and there was probably no way that Aladdin could fit through it, but he had to at least try. There was no glass to break, which helped, but still, that window was tiny, probably about a foot tall and just over a foot wide. It was high off the ground too, which didn't help things. Bracing himself again, Aladdin once again pulled the bed around, this time over to the wall, right underneath the window. He climbed up, and looked up at the small opening. He wished he was just a little bit taller, but he should be able to jump and make it.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered, then jumped. Aladdin caught the window, but nearly fell because of the jolt of pain through his wrist. He bit his lip to keep his pain silent, then worked as hard as he could to reach the outside of the window. This was the only way he was going to get out of that room. He managed to reach the other side, then worked on pulling himself through. Getting his head past was easy, his shoulders, not so much. He pushed as hard as he could against the window, wishing he had something to push his feet off as well. The rough edges of the window scraped at his shoulders and back, but he had to push through. There was no way of knowing how long Fahad would be gone, or if he would ever get a chance to escape again. He had to take the opportunity he had, no matter the pain it caused his wrist or flayed back. Aladdin could feel the bandages on his back tearing, but he couldn't stop to do anything about it. Getting out of there was the only thing that mattered. He needed to get back to Jasmine.

It was the thought of his incredible wife that gave Aladdin the strength he needed to force himself through that small window. With groans of pain and his muscles screaming with the exertion, Aladdin finally managed to get his torso through the window, and quickly fell to the hard packed sand below. He caught himself with his good arm, and let himself fall into a roll. Aladdin sat there for a moment, catching his breath. He did it. He got out. Now all he had to do was figure out where in Agrabah he was - assuming he was even still in Agrabah - and figure out how to get back to the palace.

Carefully, Aladdin got to his feet and turned around. It was a moderately sized house, complete with a camel tied to a pole next to it, but it had clearly seen better days. It looked as if there used to be fertile land, but the desert had taken it over. There was no way that Fahad actively lived there, but it seemed to be out of the way enough for him to use to torture people. Aladdin rolled his eyes and shook his head. It didn't matter anyway. He needed to find the palace. He needed to get back to Jasmine, and then, maybe actually be able to do something to help Genie. Where even was Genie?

Aladdin slowly turned in a circle. Where was he supposed to go? All he could see, aside from the house, was the mountainous desert. It looked similar to where Genie had dropped him out of the Cave of Wonders, but this time, he couldn't see the city of Agrabah itself. Where was he? How was he supposed to find his way back to the palace? The only time he had ever been truly out there in the desert was when he'd been whisked out to the Cave of Wonders by Jafar. On those slow-moving camels, it had taken them over a day to get there. Granted, they did stop several times, and stopped during the night, but still. It had been excruciating, and Aladdin had been very grateful for Genie's magic getting them back to the city in a much more timely manner. The idea of spending even a few hours walking back to the city, out in the open air with absolutely nothing to protect him from the intense sun and heat, sounded almost as bad as Fahad's lashes. But what else was he supposed to do? There wasn't any other option. It wasn't as if he could wait and ask Fahad for directions.

Fahad had gotten them out there somehow, so there had to be a relatively easy way to get back. Aladdin didn't know how long he had been unconscious after Fahad had strangled him, but realistically speaking, there was no way that it could have been more than a few hours, and in that time, Fahad had had the time to get him to that house, go back and grab Genie somehow, and get back to the house, all without anyone noticing that something was amiss. Yes, Aladdin had been taken from a rougher part of town, so it could be assumed that that was where Genie was taken from as well, but still. It couldn't be that easy to leave like that. So how had Fahad done it?

Well, the Cave of Wonders couldn't be the only cave in the dunes and desert mountains. Aladdin would head towards the foothills and hope for the best. What else was he supposed to do? He took a glance towards the camel and smiled to himself. Perhaps his days of stealing weren't quite over after all.

The sun beat down fiercely on his mostly bare back, but at least he didn't have to walk. The camel didn't seem to mind it. There was even a bag of water around the saddle. He would use that sparingly, since there was no way of knowing if he was even going in the right direction, much less how long it would take him to get back to the palace.

"Are we going the right way?" he asked the camel, despite knowing full well that the camel was incapable of understanding him, much less responding. "Make a noise if we're going the wrong way." Just as Aladdin knew it would, the camel remained silent. "Great, then we're set, buddy." Aladdin reached forward to pet the camel's neck and smiled. Even though Fahad was cruel, his camel was just a camel, and thus, was wonderful.

For lack of anything else to do, Aladdin kept up a steady stream of conversation with the camel, albeit in a low voice. Anything louder still hurt his abused throat. The camel never responded or provided any input to his ideas about all the ways he could possibly make Jasmine smile, but it did seem to like it when Aladdin scratched its neck. He felt bad about thinking of the camel as an it, but he hadn't bothered to look to see if it was male or female, and he didn't feel bad enough about it to get down and look.

"You could be friends with Abu, right?" he asked the camel. "He might not like you at first, but eventually he'd get used to you and want to be friends, just like he did with Carpet." Aladdin broke off when he saw something dark in the side of the landscape, but it didn't look like a bush or a tree. "Let's check it out," he muttered, then brought the camel to a faster pace. The closer they got, the more Aladdin became convinced that it was exactly what he had hoped it was: a cave. He smiled even more. This had to be how Fahad got in and out of the city.

Aladdin scratched at the camel's neck again. "I hope this cave isn't as dangerous as the last one," he said, thinking about the lava and fire that almost took his life in the Cave of Wonders. This time, he didn't have Carpet or Genie to save him. "At least I've got you," he said, smiling down at his new friend. "I should give you a name. How about Rayyan? That'll work no matter what you are." Aladdin laughed softly and shook his head. Whether or not he was giving a camel a name that matched with its gender should be so low on his priority list compared to getting back to his wife, saving Genie, taking down Fahad, and not dying in the process, yet there he was, picking a name that he was sure was gender neutral. The thought of what he still had yet to accomplish was sobering, quickly causing his laughter to fade and smile to drop. He hoped that Genie was okay. Fahad could kill him, and maybe Aladdin wouldn't even know what had happened. He might get back to Agrabah and see that it was already too late, that somehow, Fahad was on the throne instead of Jasmine.

The cave was beautiful, but Aladdin couldn't enjoy it, not with those thoughts running through his mind. He made Rayyan go little faster, digging his heels into its sides. He pushed the guilt at hurting the animal even the smallest bit into the back of his mind, and focused on what was in front of him. Aladdin could see light coming from the other end of the cave, so he had to be close. There were a few bats here and there, but other than that, the cave was mostly bare, maybe due to being so short in length. Its twists and turns were few and far between, so the near total darkness was limited. It didn't matter anyway. The end was right there.

Aladdin let himself breathe a sigh of relief upon exiting the cave and entering back into the open air. There was Agrabah, in the distance, but not too far away. He was looking at it from an odd angle. All that was behind him was desert, with very few settlements. Traders didn't go that way, not even smugglers or slavers. It was no wonder that Fahad had managed to get his prisoners out there with no one noticing. The closest side of the city was one of the roughest parts. Fahad could've openly dragged Aladdin's unconscious body through those streets, and no one would've batted an eye. All Fahad would've had to do is avoid the guards, and being a nobleman, he could've easily found their schedules. Aladdin shook his head in dismay. He and Jasmine were going to have to have a talk about how to fix that part of town once this whole debacle was over and done with.

He brought Rayyan up to a faster speed, wanting to get back to Agrabah as quickly as possible. Hopefully, it wasn't too late. Aladdin didn't actually know how much power Genie had left, or what he could do with it. What he did know was that for some reason, Genie would do anything to protect him. If that meant he had to find a way to appease Fahad, then he would probably do it. Thoughts of Jafar raced through his mind once more, but he chose to think of one thought over all the rest: he'd beaten a madman once, so he could do it again.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Sorry for the long wait, the only excuse I have is life, lol. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

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Genie was not one to panic. He really wasn't. But now, he was getting pretty close to panicking. He'd told Fahad that he would help him, but really there was nothing that Genie could do to help Fahad to become sultan. There just wasn't. He wasn't powerful enough anymore to anything much more than some pretty spectacular magic tricks. Changing reality, like he'd been able to do before, just wasn't in his toolbox anymore. But he told Fahad that he could, so now, what was he supposed to do? He could only stall for so long before Fahad realized that he'd been tricked, and then he would go back and kill Aladdin. Genie couldn't let that happen. He could only hope that the kid figured out how to escape and got himself out of there.

"Do your job," Fahad seethed. His eyes were just as angry as they'd always been, maybe even more so.

"Well, first, I need to know the specifics of what you want," Genie said slowly. He was already pretty sure that Fahad just wanted a generic "make me sultan", but he could stall for a little while by making the man give specific answers. Fahad had no way of knowing that it didn't matter, at least not to Genie.

"I want to be sultan, what did you think this was all about, you fool?" Fahad said, his voice rising in frustration.

"I know, I know," Genie replied, holding up his hands placatingly. "But there's so much more to it than that. Jasmine is sultan right now. What do you want to happen to her? The guards won't just suddenly accept you as sultan, so what do you want to happen to them? And the people of Agrabah, they'll be torn too. A sudden upheaval of the government is bound to ruffle some feathers no matter whether or not they support Jasmine as sultan, so what about them? And other countries, they'll want answers as to how all of this happened. Do you even know how to run a kingdom? There's a big difference between being a nobleman and being sultan. These are the things you gotta think about," Genie said, slightly condescendingly, but hopefully Fahad wouldn't pay attention to that, and would start thinking of how terrible of an idea all of this was in the first place. It was a long shot, but maybe the man would give up, because even though it wasn't actually necessary for Genie to know the answers to all of those questions, they were valid questions, and things that Fahad would have to deal with if Genie were to make him sultan.

Fahad stood there, mouth ajar, his face a mix of confusion and anger. Clearly, he hadn't thought that far ahead, and if Genie could convince him that he couldn't do anything until those questions were answered, he might have even more time than he needed to stall. Genie worked hard to keep the smile off his face. This was going better than he thought. Hopefully Aladdin was having just as easy of a time escaping. Genie tried not to think about the fact that the kid was hurt and exhausted and dehydrated and had no idea where in the Arabian desert they were. The kid was smart, and so strong. He could figure it out and get back to the palace. Really, things might be better once Fahad noticed that Aladdin was gone - assuming that the kid did figure out a way to escape. Because then, Genie didn't have to keep up the facade that he was actually going to help him. With Al gone, Fahad no longer had any leverage on Genie at all, and as long as Fahad didn't know any magic, Genie would be able to overpower him and get back to the palace himself. He knew where the tunnel was and where it led. But still, he had to give the kid enough time to escape before he started acting like something was up.

"I gotta know the specifics here, or else everything is just gonna be a huge mess," Genie said with a shrug of his shoulders. "So you just take as long as you need to think on that, and I'll just sit here and wait." Genie crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. They were in a room just down the hall from where Aladdin was being held. It was just as sparse, with only the bare necessities of a dining room.

"What should I do with the princess?" Fahad asked, and from his tone, Genie knew that the man was expecting an answer.

"I don't know, that's your decision," he replied, feigning nonchalance.

"No," Fahad growled, straightening himself up and lifting his head. "You will tell me what I should do with her in order to ensure my reign, or I will go back to the street rat and make him scream again, maybe even slit his thin throat. Are we clear?"

There was no way that Al had gotten a long enough time to escape at that point, so Genie was going to have to keep stalling, at least for a little while.

"Okay, alright, there's no need to bring the kid into this," he replied, subconsciously taking a step closer to the door, putting himself between it and Fahad, as if that would protect Aladdin. "And you can't hurt Jasmine. Not everyone may be happy that she is sultan, but she was loved as princess, and you would alienate the people by hurting her. If you want your reign to be accepted, you can't do that."

"I didn't want to hurt her," Fahad immediately replied. "We are distantly related, after all, and it wouldn't do to hurt my own kin." He paused, but Genie could tell that he wasn't done. Fahad looked around for a moment in ponderance, then continued. "I want her to abdicate the throne, and declare me the new sultan. That would solve everything. If she voluntarily gives me the throne, then I am the rightful ruler, and everything is as it should be." Fahad smiled that wicked smile, and stood up. Genie stood there, unsure of what to do or say. Technically, Fahad was right. If Jasmine were to give him the throne, then Fahad would win and everything would be fine for him. The problem for Fahad was that that was never going to happen. Genie had no magic that could force Jasmine to do that, and for both Aladdin and Dalia to let it happen, and even if he did, he would never do it. Of course, Fahad didn't know that. Still, Genie would feign ignorance of the part Fahad would undoubtedly want him to play anyway.

"Good luck convincing her of that," he said, shaking his head. "Jasmine is a little firecracker, she would never give up her throne, and you know that." Genie smiled at Fahad smugly, despite knowing that the man wouldn't just accept that. The more time he took up, the better chances Aladdin had of getting out of there.

"That, jinn, is where you come in," Fahad said, that wicked grin still plastered on his face. "You will make her comply, and if you do not, I will use the street rat as leverage. I will hurt the boy again, and again, and again, and let his screams echo throughout all of Agrabah until the princess gives me the throne. So if you don't want that to happen, you will do as I say, and make the girl comply." Fahad was glaring now, his eyes dangerous. He was a madman, and Genie knew he would do exactly as he threatened.

"Fine, then we'll have to go back to the palace," Genie said, his voice calm. He figured that was the best approach, a serenity to match Fahad's anger. Hopefully, Aladdin had figured out a way to escape and was long gone by that point, going back to the palace himself. That way, Genie could just end the whole charade and get Fahad in prison, where he belonged. Even if Al was still there, they would be going back to the palace anyway, so everything would fall into place. He just had to make Fahad believe that everything was working out his way, and by the time he realized it wasn't, it would be too late. "Let me just go get the kid, and we'll be on our way."

"Fine," Fahad growled in response, moving quickly to the door. "But if you try anything, the street rat dies."

Genie held up his hands in mock surrender, and decided not to mention the fact that if Fahad killed Aladdin, he lost all of his leverage. The man had been switching back and forth on whether or not he was going to kill the kid this entire time, so Genie wasn't surprised that the trend was continuing.

Fahad led them back down the hall to the room he'd put Aladdin in, and opened the door-

-and immediately screamed and slammed the door closed.

"Where is he?!" he shouted at Genie, stepping aggressively towards him. "Where is the street rat?!"

Genie couldn't hold back his smile. Of course Aladdin managed to escape. He was a smart kid.

"He's long gone by now, probably already back at the palace and bringing the guards here to arrest you for kidnapping, torture, and treason," he replied with a sneer. There was no reason to hold anything back now. Aladdin was gone, and there were no enchanted chains in sight. Genie could take Fahad with his eyes closed. "And you are going to pay for what you did."

Fahad tried to take a swing at him, but Genie easily caught it and swung the man's arm behind him, then shoved him against the wall. Genie held him there with one hand against Fahad's head and the other still clutching his arm.

"You don't understand," Fahad growled out against the wall. "I wasn't finished with the boy! He'll be dead by dawn."

Genie's grip loosened on Fahad, but only slightly. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his stomach dropping and blood going cold.

"For extra insurance for your cooperation, I added something else to the wine you used. Without the antidote, he'll be dead by morning. Your magic would keep you safe from it, but the street rat will die."

"Then where is the antidote?" Genie immediately asked. He didn't have the time to release his anger, or question the validity of what Fahad was saying. If he was telling the truth, then Genie needed to act quickly.

"I don't have it."

Genie pressed him harder against the wall. "What do you mean you don't have it?" he growled.

"It's back in Agrabah. I needed insurance that I would be getting back there in a position of authority."

Genie resisted every instinct in his body that was screaming at him to shove Fahad so hard into the wall that his stupid face went through it, because, as wonderful as that sounded, he just didn't have the time for that. Instead, he took a firm grip on Fahad and turned him around, then shoved him right back into the wall.

"Where is it?"

"You'll never find it without me. Not all of Agrabah is a friendly place, but I have friends that will help me. They will not treat you as kindly."

Genie nearly punched the wall in frustration. Fahad was right. If the antidote really was in the bad part of town, then it would be very hard for Genie to procure it by himself. Whether he liked it or not, he needed Fahad. How a nobleman like Fahad had come to have friends in the city's underbelly was beyond him, but at the moment, Genie couldn't bring himself to care. Eventually, he would get the truth to that, but the clock was ticking, and Aladdin was the only thing that mattered.

"Fine," he seethed. "You'll come back with me, but if you put even one toe out of line, I will smite you," he said, pointing a finger right in Fahad's face. This time, he wasn't even joking. Powers or no powers, if Aladdin died, Genie was going to kill this man. He could do it with his bare hands, and for Aladdin, he would do anything.

"I didn't say I would help you, but I will, if you make me sultan," Fahad replied. "So, you will make Princess Jasmine abdicate the throne, or I won't help you get the antidote, and the boy will die, suffering. You can try to kill me now, but then you'll never find the antidote. You don't have a choice, jinn." The man was smiling that wicked smile of his, his eyes filled with nothing but greed and something that looked like vengeance. But he was right. Genie didn't have a choice. He couldn't waste the time to torture Fahad until the man gave in, and he certainly couldn't kill him. If Fahad refused to help him get the antidote, then Genie would have to help him first. There was no other way - at least, not one that Genie could see, and he didn't have time to sit around and think.

He grabbed Fahad and shoved him towards the door. "Then let's get going."


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: I hope you didn't think the whump was over ;) I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

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Aladdin kept his gaze wandering as he made his way closer and closer to Agrabah. This was the roughest part of town, and he had no way of knowing who there might somehow recognize him from either his days on the street or as king. If they recognized him from the street, it would be awkward, but it would be better than them knowing him as king. Being king, unprotected, in an area like that, was highly dangerous. Too many guards left that area of town entirely alone, and even if they were there, Aladdin wasn't sure that he would trust them to protect him. If he had the time, Aladdin would just try to avoid the area entirely, and go around. But he didn't have the time. He needed to get back to the palace as quickly as possible.

A sudden sharp pain in his abdomen had Aladdin hunching over Rayyan's neck. He squeezed his eyes shut against it for a moment, then shook his head. It was just because he was dehydrated and hadn't eaten in a while. Being in the palace, he had gotten used to having regular meals. Being without them now was just an annoyance to his body, but he would be fine. Aladdin pushed aside the fact that this pain didn't feel like the hunger pains he was used to. His back and wrist were already burning, what was one more thing? Besides, his back and wrist would be fine in a few days. He could handle this for now.

Aladdin pushed Rayyan forward and tried to straighten up as much as he could. He could not afford to look weak once he was in the city. The weak were the easiest targets for robbers, and while he didn't have anything on him that they could steal, he really didn't want to the take the risk of a possible attack. After everything that had happened, he couldn't deal with that too. Wincing as he took a deep breath, Aladdin forced himself to stay upright - but not too upright, lest he draw attention to himself - and ventured into Agrabah. He needed to get back to the palace, no matter what.

The rough streets were just like he remembered them. Aladdin had always tried to stay out of the roughest part of town, and not just because there were less pickpocketing opportunities there. The streets were dirty, with broken down stalls and shattered pots lining them. The people were dirty too, each of them looking around as if someone were out to get them, and in this part of town, someone probably was. Yelling and shouting and even screaming could be heard through some of the broken down buildings. Aladdin just kept his head down and kept moving. He hated not being able to help these people, but there just wasn't anything he could do in his current position. Once he got back to full health and Fahad was dealt with? Changing things in that part of town would be the first thing he talked to Jasmine about. But for now, he just needed to get back to the palace, back to Jasmine.

If someone gave him a dirty look, Aladdin would send a dirty look right back. He may have been in intense pain and half covered in blood, but that didn't mean he wasn't in the mood to fight. As a street rat, this part of town was especially dangerous. The people there all wanted something from him, and only some were willing to accept it when he refused. He could have made good money doing various things of differing levels of shame and legality, but he just couldn't. He would rather steal food and pick pockets than deal in organized crime or sell the only dignity he had.

Another wave of pain washed over him, causing Aladdin to bite back a moan of pain and double over Rayyan's long neck again. Something wasn't right. He knew that he shouldn't be expecting his back and wrist to feel better, but they hurt almost as much as they did right after the wounds were inflicted, and there was no way that was normal. And why did his stomach hurt so much? But it wasn't just his stomach, it was everything between his hips and ribs - at least that's what it felt like.

He tried to straighten up again when he saw several unsavory characters staring at him, but it just hurt so much. Aladdin pushed his heels into Rayyan again, trying to get the camel to move along a bit faster. He was too exposed, and there were too many people around.

"Come on, buddy," he muttered to the camel. But people were still staring, and he couldn't stay upright. The pain was too intense. He needed to get somewhere where he could sit down and curl up until he figured out what was going on. In the condition he was in, he wouldn't be able to make it to the palace on his own. But he still had to get there somehow, and there was no way that anyone around would help him.

Aladdin ducked down an empty alley, away from the prying eyes. He needed to get off the camel immediately. Summoning as much strength as he could, Aladdin swung a leg over the side of the camel, and gracelessly got onto the ground, where he quickly collapsed against the wall, and slid down to the ground, curling up as much as he could. Curling up made his back feel worse, but his stomach better. He just had to pick and choose which was the worse pain, and at the moment, it was his stomach. What was going on?

Rayyan stood there faithfully, looking down at him with its big brown eyes. The camel needed to go get help for him, but it was a camel. How was Aladdin supposed to tell it to go find the guards? What could he do to let them know where he was? Fahad still had his wedding ring, so he couldn't attach that. He didn't have anything on him that would tell the guards that it was him, or tell them where he was. It wasn't as if Aladdin could attach a message to the camel's bridle - growing up on the streets, he had never learned to read or write, and although he was trying to learn, he didn't have a good grasp of it yet. But, the one thing he could write well enough was his name. Maybe that was all it would take. Still, he didn't have anything to either write with or on. Aladdin looked around him for anything he could use.

The alley was abandoned, and abandoned alleys usually led to abandoned buildings. There had to be something in there that he could use. Using all the strength he had, Aladdin pushed himself up, and opened the door next to him. As he predicted, the building was vacant, and clearly had been for a while. There was a little bit of furniture, including a desk, but not much else. Hopefully there was still some ink and paper somewhere that were still usable. With one hand clenched over his abdomen and the other on the wall for support, Aladdin slowly made his way to the dust and sand covered desk. He rifled through the first drawer, and was pleased to find plenty of paper, but the ink was much too dry to be of any use. The second drawer was the same. Aladdin growled in frustration when the third drawer wouldn't even open, but held his breath in anticipation upon seeing the ink in the fourth drawer. There were other various things in all of the drawers, but all he cared about was what was useful to him, and that was only the ink and paper. He breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that the ink was in good enough condition.

Aladdin leaned heavily over the desk and grabbed the reed pen lying there. He closed his eyes and focused on how exactly he was supposed to hold the pen. It still felt foreign in his hand, but it would have to do. With his grip on it definitely not the way that Jasmine was trying to teach him, Aladdin dipped the pen in the ink, and set it to the paper. The dots and curves of his written language were beginning to look familiar, and he knew that he had at least spelled his name correctly, and legibly. If he could read it, anyone could read it. There was nothing around that Aladdin could use to tell anyone where he was, but at least he had something. Hopefully, the guards would be smart enough to ask around where the camel came from, and the people would be nice enough to answer. There had to be guards around somewhere close by, right? Jasmine had to have sent out the guards to look for him, wouldn't she? She loved him, she married him when she didn't have to, and marriage is the biggest commitment you can make, so she had to love him, and if she loved him, she would have to send out the guards to look for him.

After effectively silencing his demons with logic for the moment, Aladdin slowly made his way back to Rayyan and slipped the piece of paper with his name on it into its bridle. A random camel wandering the streets would be turned in to the guards - at least, it should be, but in reality, Aladdin was leaving a lot up to chance and hoping for perfect circumstances - and they would see the paper. Upon reading it, and knowing that he was missing, they would ask around where the camel came from, and the people around would point them in the right direction. Once they knew the camel had come from the rough side of town, the guards would flood the area, and eventually find him. That's what had to happen. If it didn't, then Aladdin would have to try to make it back to the palace himself, and if he were being honest with himself, he didn't think he would make it.

Aladdin pulled Rayyan to the head of the alley, facing the palace, and slapped its hindquarters. Rayyan started to run towards the palace, leaving Aladdin with nothing to do but hope. He staggered back to the abandoned building and collapsed in the doorway. With no way to keep himself occupied doing something useful, all Aladdin could focus on was the pain. It was growing every minute, and he didn't understand what was going on, why it hurt so bad. Aladdin squeezed his eyes shut against both the pain and the oncoming tears, and tried to focus on breathing through it. But it just hurt so much, and he wanted Genie there. Genie could always make him feel better, no matter what. Hopefully Genie was still alive, and hadn't done anything stupid.

The next few- few what? Minutes? Hours? They were all blending together, feelings like both years and seconds at the same time - were spent in exhausted agony. The pain in his abdomen wasn't going away, and neither was the pain in his back and wrist. It wasn't getting too much worse, but it definitely wasn't getting any better. But at least his exhaustion provided a slight distraction, even if that wasn't pleasant either. The intense pain prevented Aladdin from truly falling asleep, but he dozed off enough to dream, and what nightmares they were. It was hard to tell the difference between what was real and what wasn't, since the pain was a constant in both. But no matter how much it hurt in reality, the nightmares were infinitely worse. Sometimes, it wasn't Fahad holding the whip or the knife, but Genie. He would tell Aladdin that he didn't care, that he would never be free of Aladdin, no matter what his third wish had been, that he would be a slave to him even more because of his debt to him.

Finally, Aladdin pulled himself up to lean on his side against the wall. No matter how exhausted he was, he couldn't fall back into those nightmares. He knew they weren't real, knew that Genie would never hurt him, that he would never say such terrible things to him, but his subconscious didn't seem to quite grasp that, and always threw his biggest fears right back at him. Aladdin couldn't handle it, not on top of everything else. So he would sit there, alone, and in pain. There was nothing else for him to do. He could only hope that everything went together perfectly, and that the guards would find him there.

Aladdin wasn't sure how long he waited. The time was messed up in his dreams, but even awake, things still didn't make much sense. He could've sat there for less than an hour, but it could've been a day, too. But then he heard the familiar sounds of people shouting about guards, and running this way and that - it was a sound that he would never forget, having been one of them for most of his remembered life. For the first time in his life, Aladdin was glad that the guards were looking for him.

Summoning as much strength as he could, Aladdin pulled himself up and stumbled out of the abandoned building and back into the alley. He leaned against the wall, and did as much as he could to pull himself to the alley's head. There, down the street, he could see a palace guard. For the first time, Aladdin didn't even care that it was Razoul.

"Help me," he tried to say, but it only came out as a mutter. Aladdin cleared his throat and tried again. "Help me," he said, this time loud enough to be heard and to catch Razoul's attention. He slipped further down the wall, but kept his gaze focused on Razoul. The man slowly walked towards him, his eyes as hard and cruel as they had always been. He wouldn't just leave him there, right? "Razoul," Aladdin called out, his voice hoarse. "You need to help me get back to the palace, back to Jasmine."

But it was like Razoul hadn't even heard him. "But you're back right where you belong, street rat," he seethed. Razoul crouched down, still staring at Aladdin as if he was a disease that Razoul could catch. "I should just leave you here to die. You already look half dead anyway. Pathetic." Razoul made to stand, but Aladdin reached out and gripped his wrist with all the strength he had, which, admittedly, wasn't a lot.

"Please," he pleaded. He meant to sound strong, but it came out more as a weak moan of pain. "Something is more wrong than it looks, and Genie is still out there. Please help me." He hated begging. He hated begging more than almost anything else in the world. But he would beg and plead and cry to get back to Jasmine and save Genie, no matter what.

Razoul sighed, then shook Aladdin's hand off his wrist with ease. "You owe me for this, street rat," he said. "And one day, I'm going to collect." Razoul shook his head and rolled his eyes, then turned behind him. "Guards!" he shouted. "I've found him!"

Other guards came running, Hakim being one of them. Aladdin breathed a sigh of relief. Hakim wouldn't let anything happen to him out here. Hakim was going to get him back to Jasmine.

"Your Majesty," Hakim muttered out of formality. He quickly pulled Aladdin up and supported him on one side while Razoul supported him on the other. Another guard pulled a cloak over him to hide him from view of the citizens. They shouldn't see their king in such a condition, even though they probably wouldn't recognize him as such. "What happened? Where is the genie?"

Aladdin decided it wasn't worth it to correct Hakim that Genie wasn't actually a true genie anymore. "There's too much to say, just get me back to the palace, and I'll explain everything there."

With both Hakim and Razoul taking almost all of his weight, Aladdin didn't have to do much at all to support himself. He was mostly limp in their arms. Every now and then he had to hold his breath in an attempt to control the moans of pain that were so close to slipping out past his lips. He was already weak enough. He couldn't afford to look any weaker, especially in front of Razoul. The man already hated him enough. Giving him more ammunition against him would just make everything worse.

Aladdin kept his head down most of the way back to the palace. He heard confused whispers, but it didn't sound like anyone recognized him, which was good. Even upon entering the palace, he didn't look up. Aladdin had to close his eyes against the pain and attempted to take even breaths, but it wasn't working. Everything was getting worse and he just didn't understand why. What was going on? Why was this happening?

Finally, the voice he had craved since his abduction rang out through the courtyard.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine cried out. He could hear her running towards him, but it was too late. As he looked up to see the worried face of his beautiful wife, everything else started to go black. Aladdin kept staring at her, letting her beautiful face be the last thing he saw before the darkness took over.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: I have a very important announcement to make! This fic is now going to be on hold until December. I have decided to undertake NaNoWriMo for the first time ever, so all of my writing energy will be put towards getting out the first draft of my very first novel! I'm sorry that that means this has to be on hold until December, but I am excited to work on my original stuff. I'll let you know how it goes when December rolls around. Thank you for understanding. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

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To say that Genie was furious would have been an understatement. Usually, it took a lot to make him mad, and this was no exception, but anyone would be mad if they and their best friend had been abducted, then forced to watch their best friend be tortured, and poisoned. That would take anyone to the brink, and after all, Genie was human now - well, mostly human. But as a human, Genie couldn't see how Fahad possibly could be. Having served at the whim of many a madman for thousands of years, Genie had seen the worst of humanity, but ever since Aladdin, he'd only seen the best. That kid was the best human that Genie had ever met, and had truly turned around his entire idea of what a human could be. After meeting Aladdin, Genie started seeing the best in people, even people like Razoul, who didn't have much in them to draw "the best" from. Fahad was different. While Genie had originally seen him as just another man of the court, now, he couldn't see the man as anything human at all. He was on the same level of depravity as Jafar in Genie's mind. All he was was greed, and even the greediest of humans had some good in them somewhere. Genie didn't see any good in Fahad. No one with any amount of good in them could do the things to Aladdin that Fahad had done.

Still, at least Fahad was an idiot. He couldn't honestly believe that even if Jasmine were to abdicate the throne to him in order to save Aladdin, that she wouldn't immediately take it back once Aladdin was healed. Jasmine would have the support of all the guards and soldiers, and a good amount of her people - not all of them, since sadly there were those who couldn't get over the fact that she was a woman, no matter how much she was helping Agrabah. At most, Fahad would have the throne for a few days, then there would be another coup to overthrow him. It was because of this that Genie wasn't all that concerned. Aladdin was his main priority, and the one that he was worried about. Everything else came after.

Fahad's anger upon seeing that his camel was gone was amusing enough for Genie to crack a smile, but that did mean that they had to walk all the way back to Agrabah, and that wasn't exactly fun. The desert was hot, and it would probably take them at least an hour or two to get all the way back. Traveling that far in the open desert air was really going to suck.

They stayed mostly silent on the long walk back to the city, neither one actually wanting to engage in conversation with the other, and not seeing a reason to. They would get there when they got there, and they would figure out a plan for getting to the palace unseen when they got a little closer, if that was even necessary at all. Genie just didn't want to talk to the man unless he absolutely had to, and he was pretty sure that Fahad felt the same way. They hated each other, and that was just fine with Genie.

But there was one question that kept rattling around in Genie's brain, leaving him unable to think of anything else.

"At this stage, how is Aladdin?" he hesitantly asked. He needed to know how screwed his kid was.

"Because of the poison? Well, I haven't used this particular poison before, but based on what the vendor said and what's in it, I would guess that at this point, he's in quite a lot of pain," Fahad said, that sick smile on his face. Genie just glared at him. "He's probably getting delirious, which is a good thing for us, because that means that no one will believe what he says."

Genie closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He needed the mental strength to not slap the man across the face, and slapping him across the face sounded better and better every second.

"Then at least we can just walk right through the city and into the palace," he said in lieu of brutally beating the man the death.

Fahad didn't reply, so Genie took that to mean that walking right through Agrabah and into the palace would be good enough. He would simply insist to any guard that asked about where he was that he needed to speak with Jasmine immediately, and, being the valet of the king, he would be obeyed.

It felt like an eternity later when they finally made it to the outskirts of Agrabah. Genie had been focusing on the shifting sand beneath his feet, trying to see tracks from where Aladdin may have gone, likely atop the camel, but tracks never stayed long in the sand. Even a slight breeze swept them away, leaving Genie with only hope that his kid had gotten back to Agrabah alright.

"Feel like givin' up where the antidote is?" Genie muttered to Fahad as they made their way through the city's underbelly, which was closest to Fahad's disheveled hut.

"The throne, then you get your antidote," Fahad seethed in reply, just loud enough for Genie to hear him. Genie just rolled his eyes and kept walking, telling himself over and over again to be the bigger person.

There were a lot of guards heading to the palace, but Genie couldn't tell what was going on. Had something big just happened? Had they found Aladdin? He was itching to know what was going on, but he would be back at the palace soon enough. He just needed to get back to Aladdin, back to Dalia.

Oh, Dalia. She was probably worried sick. It hurt to think of her so scared, not knowing where he was or what was going on. Aladdin returning in such terrible condition, without Genie, was bound to only make her worry more. He needed to get back there. He needed to make sure she knew that he was okay. He needed to hold his wife close and remind her how much he loved her.

Genie took a deep breath and put thoughts of Dalia out of his mind for the moment. There would be plenty of time to hold and kiss his wife when this was all over, but for now, he needed to focus on stopping Fahad from being the second madman who was trying to take over Agrabah.

He and Fahad continued to walk through the city at a brisk pace, Genie's anticipation at getting back to the palace and hopefully seeing Aladdin there spurring him on with every step. The kid had to be okay. The thought of him out there somewhere, alone, in pain, not understanding what was going on, was breaking Genie's heart. He could only hope that someone had found him and gotten him back to the palace. At least he would know soon enough.

The streets were crowded, but Genie weaved through them effortlessly, Fahad right behind him. The palace was looming closer with every step. It would only be another few moments before they were there. Genie and Fahad walked right up to the front gates, which were immediately opened for them by a very surprised looking guard. He didn't take the time to explain anything to the man, and just walked through the gates and into the palace. But the moment he saw Hakim, Genie went straight for him.

"Hakim!" he called out. The guard turned towards him, eyes wide.

"Genie? Fahad? What's going on?" he asked, coming to stand next to him.

"I don't have time to explain. Is Aladdin here?"

"Yes, but's not well. He's-"

"Where?" Genie demanded, cutting the man off.

"In his chambers, with the sultan."

Genie didn't even thank Hakim before quickly turning and jogging towards Aladdin and Jasmine's room, Fahad next to him. He just needed to get to his kid as quickly as possible. He didn't pay any attention to the guards who gaped at his sudden appearance, or to the servants who bowed to Fahad as they passed. None of that mattered.

If the circumstances had been any different, Genie would've felt bad for the massive jump he caused everyone when he threw the doors open to Aladdin's chambers. His relief upon seeing Dalia was overshadowed by the pit in his stomach when he heard Aladdin's pained moans.

"Gene!" Dalia called out, running to him and into his arms. Genie immediately took her up, holding her close and relishing in her. Her hair was as soft as ever, and she smelled like flowers - no, she smelled better than flowers. Genie held her close and closed his eyes, taking this one moment of peace before the reality of what was going on came crashing back down on him. If only that moment could've lasted forever. "What's going on?" Dalia asked when she finally pulled away from his embrace.

The moment was over, and it was back to reality. Reality sucked.

Genie turned to look at Fahad, and glared at the man, who just glared right on back. Rajah was glaring too. Well, he was growling and baring his teeth. The tiger really was an excellent judge of character, even from a first meeting. Abu was just sitting by Aladdin on the bed, his eyes big and worried. Out of the corner of his eye, Genie could see Carpet hovering close by. But his attention was focused firmly on the injured kid on the bed.

"What happened to him?" Jasmine asked, her voice pleading. "The physician left to get something for the pain and for his injuries, but he doesn't even know what's going on, and Aladdin isn't making any sense. And what is he doing here?" she asked, motioning towards Fahad. There was no malice in her voice, only confusion. If only she knew.

Genie's attention was drawn back to Aladdin when the kid let out another moan as he writhed on the bed. Abu chittered concernedly next to him, looking down at Aladdin and back to Genie, as if he could magically heal his friend. The sheets were soaked in sweat, and although his wounds weren't bleeding, they looked terrible, as if they were infected or something. It had to be because of the poison.

"It's a long story," he finally muttered, his heart breaking even more. How could this have happened? Hadn't Aladdin been through enough? Hadn't the poor kid suffered enough for one lifetime? According to Fahad, apparently not. Genie walked up to the edge of the bed and took Aladdin's hand in his. "Hey, kid," he gently said, brushing the kid's hair out of his glassy eyes.

"Genie?" he weakly responded, eyes gaining a bit of clarity.

"Yeah, kid, I'm here," Genie replied with a smile. "I'm gonna fix this, okay? You're gonna be alright."

Aladdin's gaze wandered from Genie, to Jasmine and Dalia, and finally to Fahad. "No, stop!" he shouted, weakly pushing himself up and away from Fahad, eyes wide and full of fear. Rajah roared at Fahad, somehow knowing that the nobleman was the cause of all Aladdin's pain.

"It's okay, it's okay," Genie insisted, putting himself in between Aladdin and Fahad. "I'm not gonna let him hurt you again, I'm here." Genie pulled the kid against him, and just held him for a moment. Aladdin's breathing, which had been rapid with panic, slowly calmed down and evened out. Maybe he'd fallen asleep, but it was more likely that he'd passed out.

"Genie, what's going on? Did Fahad do this?" Jasmine asked again, tears in her eyes. Genie slowly turned to her, carefully laying Aladdin back down on the bed, then glanced at Fahad. The man was glaring at him, and motioned with his eyes towards Jasmine, then to Aladdin, as if to tell him that he must be the one to tell her everything, but to be careful with his words.

"In order to save Aladdin's life," he slowly started saying, unsure of how much he could actually say without Fahad becoming enraged. "You have to abdicate the throne to Fahad."

"Excuse me?"

"What?"

Jasmine and Dalia responded simultaneously, each one with wide eyes and glances towards the nobleman.

"What are you talking about? What exactly does he have to do with any of this?" Jasmine asked, glaring at Fahad. She sat on the side of the bed, gently taking her husband's hand in hers.

"That's the only way-"

"No," Jasmine interrupted, not even looking at Genie. "If he's the one that I'm supposed to give the kingdom to in order to save my husband's life, then Fahad should be the one to answer the question." Jasmine gently set Aladdin's hand back down, and stood up. She walked over to the nobleman, her head held high and her fists clenched. "Your sultan is asking you to explain yourself, and you will answer," she said, leaving no room for negotiation.

Fahad's expression turned to one of barely concealed rage, his own fists clenched and shaking slightly in his anger. "The jinn speaks the truth," he growled. "If you want the antidote to the poison that is coursing through the street rat's veins, then you will hand the throne over to me. No woman should ever be sultan, and a street rat can never be king. Genie! Make her comply!"

Everyone turned to Genie, expressions all a mix of rage, disgust, and utter confusion. Rajah stalked towards Fahad, ears twisted, tail lashing, eyes wide, and growling softly. The nobleman looked down at the tiger with disgust, but also a bit of fear. He was right to be scared. Rajah was bred for protection, and that was exactly what the cat was going to do: protect. As much as Genie would've loved to see the man torn apart by the angry tiger, if Fahad was dead, then they would never get the antidote they needed to save Aladdin.

"Rajah," Genie said softly, trying to emulate how Jasmine always got the tiger's attention in similar situations. It didn't work. Genie quickly looked to Jasmine, who seemed to get the message.

"Rajah," she said, in what Genie felt was exactly the same way that he had, but this time, it worked. Rajah stood down, stopping in his tracks. He slowly sat, but kept his teeth bared, and his growls didn't stop. That was good enough for Genie.

"Make. Her. Comply," Fahad repeated, eyes narrowed at Genie. The attention was all back on him now. But what was he supposed to do? He didn't actually have the magic to make her comply, and even if he did, Genie wasn't sure that he would ever be able to do that to her. He looked between Fahad and Jasmine, and Aladdin. He had to do something. He just had to do something, but what?


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Heyyyyyyyyyy I'm back y'all! I know I said I'd be back in December, but after NaNoWriMo I just needed a break to refresh my creative juices. NaNoWriMo was a complete success btw! I finished the month at like 51k, and while my first draft is far from over, I am very proud of myself for what I accomplished. But anyway, now I can focus on finishing my current fanfics that I have on hold before going back to my original novel.**

**For anyone who has seen the Aladdin tv series, there's a nod to that in here! Let me know if you notice it! Well, I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

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Jasmine stared at Genie and saw the panic in his eyes. She didn't know what was going on, but clearly, Genie didn't know what he was doing either. The man was keeping himself between Aladdin and everyone else, keeping a hand protectively over her husband, his eyes dashing between Aladdin's unconscious form, Jasmine and Dalia, and Fahad. He kept opening and closing his mouth, as if he were trying to figure out what exactly he was to say. Jasmine didn't care what it was, as long as it led to saving her husband.

"Jasmine, he won't give up the antidote unless you give him the throne," Genie repeated. "He won't give the antidote until he's coronated as the new sultan of Agrabah."

"Make, her, comply," Fahad seethed once more. "You are a jinn, are you not?"

Genie turned to him with fury in his eyes. "No, I'm not anymore! I have told you again, and again, and again, that I don't have much power anymore. My magic is basically gone, and life has never been better." He gestured to Aladdin, Dalia, and Jasmine. "And even if I could force Jasmine to do whatever I said, I wouldn't. Not only is she my sultan, she is my friend, and I could never do that to her. We will find another way to save Aladdin. Without you."

Jasmine didn't have time to ponder the fact that Genie's magic ability or lack thereof was apparently in question to some, because Fahad was becoming more and more unhinged by the second.

"No!" he screamed. "You cannot save him without me!" Fahad took one menacing step towards the bed, but Jasmine matched it, fury in her own eyes.

"You will not take another step towards him," Jasmine commanded. As long as she was there, Fahad would not touch her husband again. No one would. "Fahad, you are going to be arrested and you will spend the rest of your life in the dungeons. Which cell depends on how you answer me. What have you done to my husband?" she demanded. Jasmine wasn't quite sure what had happened, but clearly, Aladdin's poor state had something to do with Fahad, and she wasn't going to let that stand.

"He said he's been poisoned, and that we won't find the antidote without his help," Genie answered, his gaze drifting back towards Aladdin's prone form.

"I will never help him until wrongs have been righted, until this girl falls back into her place, until justice is done to street rats," Fahad growled. "This boy will pay for the wrongs his kind have committed, and when I am sultan, they will all be dealt with. If you want him to live, then you must give up the throne," he said, pointing a finger at Jasmine. She glanced past him, to Dalia. The handmaiden's ability to make herself almost invisible in a room full of important people once again proved a godsend. Jasmine barely bit back a smile as Dalia soundlessly crept through the doorway and disappeared. She would be back with guards in no time. In the meantime, Jasmine would let some of her fury loose. Genie was at Aladdin's bedside, giving her room to step forward, towards the madman.

"Aladdin has done nothing to you," she seethed. "Even when he lived on the streets, he never once hurt anyone. I don't know what it is you feel that he's done, but you're wrong. And my place is right here, stopping you from hurting anyone else. You are the one who will pay for what you've done." Her words were accentuated by another growl from Rajah.

The doors suddenly burst open, and in came Dalia, leading Hakim and Razoul and several other guards. They quickly grabbed both of Fahad's arms, and silently awaited instruction from their sultan. But before she could order them, Fahad spoke once more, his voice a guttural growl.

"You will regret this. I will avenge her," he said, but did not struggle much against the guards.

"Half of you take him to the dungeons, and make sure that he is most uncomfortable," Jasmine ordered, ignoring the man's cryptic words for the time being. "The other half, remain here, protect my husband."

"It would be my genuine pleasure," Razoul responded, that sadistic smile of his growing across his face. This time, Jasmine didn't mind, but she often considered relieving him of his position. Razoul was just a little too happy to inflict pain on others.

Just as she ordered, half the guards left her chambers with Fahad in tow, and the other half stayed right there, some letting concerned gazes fall onto Aladdin.

"We need to find that antidote," Genie spoke up once again. He was kneeling next to the bed, stroking Aladdin's sweaty hair away from his pale face. "It's in the city's underbelly, that's all I know. That's where Fahad got the poison. And Aladdin's wedding ring, Fahad has it, you need to get it back," he said, sounding slightly in shock.

Jasmine rubbed Genie's back. They would get the ring back later. That wasn't quite as important as finding the antidote.

"What do we do, just bang on every door in the roughest part of town and hope they cooperate?" Dalia asked, her voice approaching hysterics.

"There has to be someone there who would want to help Aladdin," Jasmine said. "On the streets, a lot of people hated him, but many were indebted to him as well." Her eyes widened in realization of what they could do. "Abu, can you help us?" she asked. The little monkey turned from his place curled up next to Aladdin, facing her. "Can you help us find someone on the street who would be willing to help Aladdin and would know where we could find an antidote?" Part of Jasmine didn't know why she was even asking. Abu was only a monkey, after all, even though he was very intelligent. Could he even understand what she was saying? She could only hope so.

After looking back down at Aladdin once more, Abu hopped onto Carpet, who had risen the moment Fahad left the room. He chittered excitedly, and motioned out the window.

"We're flying?" Jasmine asked, her eyes wide. Being with Aladdin on their magic carpet ride had been one of the most incredible moments of her life, but it had taken her a lot longer to get comfortable flying alone. Thankfully, she eventually picked it up rather well. Besides, it wasn't as if she had much of a choice. Flying would be faster than leaving through the gates, and time was clearly of the essence. She could do this. With a quick deep breath, Jasmine climbed on next to Abu.

"You can't go alone, not in that part of the city," Dalia interjected, stepping forward and lightly grabbing Jasmine's arm.

"Go," Genie said, only taking a moment to look away from Aladdin. "Stay safe and come back quickly."

Dalia gave him a quick kiss, then slid on right next to Jasmine. "Are you ready for this?" Jasmine asked her. She remembered how nervous she was on her first carpet ride, but the adrenaline of the need to do something to save Aladdin would help her - it would help them both.

"Yes," Dalia quickly breathed out, her eyes wide, staring straight forward as she white-knuckled the edges of the carpet. "I can do this," she said. "I can do this for him." It wasn't something she frequently talked about, but Jasmine knew of Dalia's fear of heights. It was almost never an issue, but in that moment, Jasmine couldn't have been more proud of her friend.

"Then let's go," Jasmine replied. She gave a final nod to Genie, who remained at Aladdin's bedside, gently holding onto his pale hand. Then, Carpet took off, quickly leaving the palace behind and soaring high above Agrabah. "Where are we going, Abu?" she asked the little monkey. He was looking intently at a certain area of the city, so that was where Jasmine directed Carpet, one hand holding a tassel, the other hand holding Dalia's. Her friend's eyes were squeezed shut as she held onto Jasmine with all she had, but hopefully they wouldn't be in the air much longer.

Abu suddenly started chittering loudly and pointing towards a small marketplace. It was close to the city's underbelly, but not close enough that most people would feel unsafe at all. Jasmine started directing Carpet downward, even though they weren't where she thought they would be.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" she asked the monkey, but the moment that Carpet was a few feet off the ground, Abu hopped off and started running towards a man carrying a small girl on his shoulders. Dalia slipped off Carpet with a smile on her face, and Jasmine quickly followed suit. It was hard to ignore her people as they gasped and stared - it wasn't exactly normal for the sultan to come to any random part of town on a magic carpet without guards to keep her safe - but she didn't have time to address them. She walked quickly towards Abu as the monkey jumped up onto the man's legs, making loud noises and looking back towards her. But the man didn't yell or try to shrug Abu off. He smiled widely and laughed when his little girl started making happy little noises.

"Abu!" he said with that smile. "Where is Aladdin?" he asked. Jasmine and Dalia caught up, and the moment that the man saw them, his face went pale and his smile dropped. "Your Majesty," he said, then quickly dropped his head in respect.

"Please, we don't have time for formalities," Jasmine quickly said. "Do you know Aladdin?" she asked.

Slowly, the man's head came back up, and he hesitantly made eye contact with Jasmine. The little girl still atop his shoulders didn't seem to know any of the formalities being or not being exchanged, and continued making noises directed at Abu.

"Yes, there has never been a kid more deserving of a better life than him," the man replied.

"We should get inside," Dalia quickly interjected. "Avoid any more attention." She was right. More people were staring, and a crowd was starting to form.

"Here, this is my home," the man said, pointing back towards the closet door. He quickly walked back towards it and opened it for the women, allowing them to walk through. Jasmine tried not to laugh at his surprise when Carpet followed them in as well. "My name is Ahmad. What can I do for you, Your Majesty?" he politely asked.

"How did you know my husband?" Jasmine immediately asked in return. This man clearly was legally living in the small home, unlike Aladdin's squatting in the abandoned tower - although it wasn't as if anyone cared that he was - and he was dressed like someone who held a job. She took a seat at the modest table, Dalia next to her, and smiled as Ahmad poured the two of them glasses of tea. She gratefully accepted it and took a few sips before setting it back down. The little girl was playing with Abu and Carpet now, and it was definitely the cutest thing that Jasmine had seen in a while.

Ahmad sighed. "I didn't always have this place," he said. "I first met Aladdin on the streets a little over a year ago. My wife passed away in childbirth, leaving me to take care of our daughter, Tiahna. No one else could take care of her, so I brought her with me everywhere I went. My boss didn't like that, so I lost my job. Soon after, I lost my home, and everything but Tiahna." He squatted down to run his large hands through his little girl's hair, her joyful cooes filling the room. "At first, Aladdin gave us a few bags of dates that he stole, but eventually, he was giving us everything. That kid gave up very nearly everything he had himself, just so I could get by until I could get another job. I kept telling him that it was okay, that he had done more than enough, that he was neglecting himself too much, but he wouldn't hear of it." Ahmad shook his head with a fond smile. "He did everything he could to keep me and my daughter safe and healthy. I tried to return the favor when I finally got another job, but Aladdin wouldn't have it. All he wanted was for me to provide a good life for Tiahna. He knew I didn't have anything extra. I even tried to get him a job too, but no one would hire a street rat." He shook his head bitterly. "If I'd been on the streets much longer, I would've faced the same thing. I am forever in Aladdin's debt. In His Majesty's debt." He smiled again and shook his head once more, this time in disbelief. "I didn't believe it when I first heard, but that kid was certainly a charmer, so I shouldn't be surprised. He always deserved a better life, anyway."

"And I've never been more thankful to be able to give someone a better life," Jasmine immediately responded. "I love my husband more than anything in the world, but without your help, he won't live through the night."

Ahmad's eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed in confusion. "What?" he asked.

"He's been poisoned," Dalia said, wringing her hands. "By one of the noblemen. He won't give up the antidote. We only know that it can be found in the city's underbelly and that it was sold to him. Can you help us?"

"This is where Abu led us. He thinks you can help," Jasmine added. "Is there anything you could do?"

Ahmad looked between the two of them before answering, "of course, Your Majesty. I am forever indebted to Aladdin. This would be the least I could do." He abruptly stood. "But it won't do to have the sultan in the roughest part of the city. I am sorry, Your Majesty, but you must stay here. I cannot leave Tiahna alone, anyways, and I certainly can't bring her with me there."

"No, I will stay with Tiahna," Dalia interjected. "This is her husband. She has to go with you." Jasmine gave her friend a small smile. She was completely right, and it looked like Ahmad knew it. The man sighed.

"Very well," he answered. "But you must take what I have left of my wife's clothes. The less people that recognize you, the better."

"That seems more than fair," Jasmine answered with a smile.

"Rashida would not have wanted her things to go unused, anyway," Ahmad said. He cracked a small smile, but it was more bittersweet than anything else. He glanced down to see Tiahna waddling towards him, away from Carpet and Abu. His smile turned genuine. "And this little girl gets everything from her mother," he said. He reached down and picked up his little girl, holding her up high in the air as she cooed and laughed. After a moment, he held her out to Dalia. "You will not let anything happen to her?" he asked.

"We will not leave your home," Dalia answered. "And Abu will make a very good helper." The monkey swatted at a fly, knocking it to the table. He picked it up and ate it. Jasmine rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless.

"Your Majesty, come with me, please," Ahmad said, bringing them back to the task at hand. "I will give you what I have." Jasmine joined him in the adjacent room, but gave him privacy while he held all that he had left of his wife's clothing for a moment. It couldn't be easy for him to let another woman put on her clothes, but Jasmine was immensely grateful. When all of this was over, she would have Ahmad and Tiahna invited to the palace, and she would make sure that they never went hungry again. "I know these aren't nearly as fine as what you are used to, but I do hope that they are enough to your liking for the occasion," he said.

Jasmine almost laughed. "For Aladdin, I would wear anything," she said. She honestly couldn't care less what she was wearing, and even if she did, Aladdin was so much more important than any outfit.

A few minutes later, Jasmine was clad in the clothes of an everyday woman, and likely wouldn't be recognized by anyone as the sultan unless she announced herself as such. That was exactly what they needed.

"How do I look?" she sarcastically asked Dalia, who shook her head with a smile, Tiahna still on her lap, content to sit there and play with Abu at the same time.

"Stunning, as always," Dalia answered.

"Your magic carpet should remain here as well, as not to draw more attention to ourselves," Ahmad said, and he had a good point.

Jasmine nodded. "We'll be back as soon as we have the antidote," she told Dalia, who nodded in reply.

"Stay safe," she reminded her.

"I promise, I will not let anything happen to Her Majesty," Ahmad said. "I swear it on my daughter's life."

"Let's be going, then," Jasmine said. Ahmad opened the door and allowed Jasmine to walk through first. The crowds had dissipated, and no one turned to stare as Jasmine and Ahmad made their way through the small marketplace to the less desirable part of town. The streets got visibly more cluttered, and the homeless populations did not try to hide themselves. It took every ounce of self control that Jasmine possessed not to stop and help each and every one of them.

"I haven't been here ever since I got a job," Ahmad quietly said, just loud enough to be heard by Jasmine and Jasmine alone. "But I still remember where we can go to find out who's selling poison," he said. He led them to a run down tavern, the disheveled sign reading 'Skull and Dagger'. "If there's anyone selling poison in Agrabah, this is where we can find them."

The two walked in, and went unnoticed by the tavern's inhabitants, who played dangerous card games with knives, ate food that looked very unappetizing to Jasmine's more refined tastes, and drank a lot of beer that she wouldn't have been caught dead drinking. It look just as good a place as any to find someone selling poison.

Ahmad pulled out a stool for Jasmine at the bar, then took the one next to her for himself. He ordered two beers, and insisted that they sit there drink for a few minutes before asking any questions, lest they look suspicious.

"You want me to drink this?" Jasmine asked him in a whisper. That wasn't going to happen. Something that smelled that terrible couldn't possibly taste good.

"Just pretend," Ahmad suggested, so Jasmine swallowed her pride and reminded herself that she was doing this to save the love of her life. She could drink a disgusting beer for him. Taking a deep breath, Jasmine threw down a swig of the beer and swallowed it as quickly as she could, barely able to keep the grimace off her face. She could do this.

"How do people drink this stuff?" she asked, but took another quick sip nonetheless.

Ahmad grinned. "Not everyone has access to the finest wines in the world," he pointed out, taking another sip himself. It was about three sips later for Jasmine that Ahmad deemed that it had been long enough to start asking questions. "Excuse me," he called out to the barkeep. The man walked over to them and went to refill their mugs, but Ahmad held up his hand to stop him. Keeping his voice low, he asked, "would you know of anyone here who could help us get rid of a slight...problem?"

The man looked around the tavern for a moment before answering. "What kind of problem?"

"We need to get rid of someone as discreetly as possible," Jasmine answered, then gave the man a sickly sweet smile that she hoped would tell him that they meant business.

"I think I know just the guy." He motioned over to a man sitting alone at a table on the other side of the tavern, facing away from the bar. He had several empty mugs of beer with him, and he was nursing what had to be at least his third.

"Thank you," Ahmad replied with a smirk, then ushered the two of them over to the other man. "Excuse me," he said to the man, who very slowly turned to face them. "We were told that you could assist us in getting rid of someone."

"Who told you?" the man immediately asked in reply, his eyes narrowing.

"An old friend of mine, who lives at the palace. Fahad, a nobleman," Jasmine responded. This was their best bet at getting the right antidote to the right poison.

"Fahad, huh?" the man confirmed with a grin. "He didn't used to be so ruthless, but after what happened to Nijah, he just fell apart. Anyway, what do you need? The same thing I gave him?"

"Exactly the same, please. Fahad told us it worked better than he expected, that it was the best, and we want the best." Ahmad said. "And the antidote too, just in case. We are prepared to pay you handsomely." It was a good thing that Jasmine had actually brought money with her, because she and Ahmad hadn't discussed payment at all.

"Of course," the man said. He began rifling through his torn coat. "The same exact thing, eh? Well, you kids are in luck, because I happen to have the last of it right here." He pulled out two small vials. One was dark, like wine, while the other was almost clear, and just slightly foggy. "This one is the poison," he said, emphasizing his words with the dark liquid. "And this one is the antidote." He did the same thing with the other. "It's exactly the same as what I gave Fahad. Now what do you have to offer me?" The man held the vials just out of reach, a knowing grin on his face.

Jasmine reached into her own pockets and pulled out a small bag of gold. "Will this do?" she asked, letting the bag fall to the table with a recognizable clink. As the man reached forward to take the bag, Jasmine took the vials. "Pleasure doing business with you," she said, then stood, Ahmad right behind her. He gave the man a curt nod, and followed Jasmine out of Skull and Dagger. "We've got it, let's get back as quickly as possible," she said, walking quickly back to where they had come from. She didn't know the route well, but Ahmad was right beside her, and led the way. Jasmine had so many questions from what she just saw and heard, but she didn't have time to dwell on them. She could only hope that she would be in time to save Aladdin.

"Please, Your Majesty, let me come with you back to the palace," Ahmad pleaded. "I need to see that this worked, that my friend will be okay."

After everything that Ahmad had done for them, that wasn't something that Jasmine could deny him, but he couldn't fly back with them either. "Yes, you may come, but Dalia and I must leave immediately, and return to the palace as quickly as possible. Carpet cannot hold the three of us plus a monkey and a baby. However, I will tell the guards that you are expected, and they will open the gates for you and Tiahna. It is there that I will return your wife's belongings. I don't want to take the time to change when my husband's life depends on me getting him this antidote in time."

"That is more than fair," Ahmad immediately replied. "I will bring your belongings as well."

Soon after, they arrived back at Ahmad's modest home. Jasmine didn't waste any time on formalities or pleasantries.

"We have the antidote, let's go," she said. Dalia quickly stood from her place on the floor with Tiahna and dashed to her.

"Your girl is precious," she said as she passed Ahmad, who was bending down to pick up his daughter. The little girl held out her hands towards Abu, but the monkey scampered off towards Carpet, Jasmine, and Dalia.

"Yes, she is," Ahmad said with a smile.

"Let's go," Jasmine repeated, climbing onto Carpet. Dalia and Abu quickly joined her, and Jasmine was once again thankful for how well Dalia knew her. The woman didn't ask questions or make any comments, sensing Jasmine's urgency. Instead, she was silent in solidarity with her friend, and it was one of the many reasons why Jasmine loved her. If they didn't make it in time - a scenario that Jasmine didn't even want to consider - it would only be because of Dalia that Jasmine would survive herself. She could only hope that it wouldn't come to that. They needed to make it in time. They just had to.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: I have learned my lesson. Trying to write (and keep updating) more than one thing at a time is a mistake for me lol. That's a mistake that hopefully I will not make again. But anyways, we're almost at the end! There's probably only going to be another chapter or two, and then this is going to be over. I have plenty more Aladdin fics planned for the future, but I also have no idea when I'm going to get around to them lol. So many ideas, so little time. Anyways, I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

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For the moment, Genie was grateful that he was now alone with Aladdin - aside from Rajah, of course. But really, he knew that there wasn't a difference. Genie thought that being alone he would be able to allow himself to become a bit more emotional than he was when Jasmine and Dalia were there, but in reality, he hadn't even held anything back then. Being alone was no different, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself that he appeared stronger with his wife and sultan around.

"Come on, kid," he muttered, looking down at Aladdin's pale face, twisted with pain even in unconsciousness. "You gotta pull through this, okay? We all need you." He sighed, gently rubbing his thumb over Aladdin's hand once again. "I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, then you need to know that Jasmine is gonna be back with the antidote real soon, okay? We're gonna fix this." Genie lowered his voice, this time speaking only to himself. "We have to fix this."

* * *

_There was a distant pain in his back and in his wrist, but it was fuzzy enough that Aladdin didn't pay much attention to it. He had a vague feeling that there was something important going on, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. Besides, what could be more important than spending time with his mother?_

_"Things will be different when Baba comes home," she said, that gentle smile she always wore gracing her face once again. "We'll have money, and we'll be able to move to a better part of the city."_

_In the back of his mind, Aladdin knew that this was wrong, that this had already happened, but it didn't seem pressing to ignore this long forgotten memory. Aside from that song she always sang him, Aladdin could barely remember anything about his mother, so why would he want to leave?_

_His mama coughed, a rattling sound that Aladdin himself could feel. His back and wrist flared in pain with it, causing him to curl in on himself a little bit._

_"Mama? Are you okay?" he asked. He knew she wasn't. As it progressed, Aladdin came to realize that he knew this part. He had seen this same thing happen again and again in his nightmares for years on end, a memory that only surfaced in the dark of night, pressed back and held at bay during all waking hours for what must have been fifteen years. But he knew this part. Mama wasn't okay. She wasn't ever going to be okay again, and there was nothing he could do about it. "Mama?" he called out again, watching her cough and hack and fall to her knees from the force of it. Aladdin tried to stand, to go to her, but he couldn't move, he couldn't move at all. "Mama, what's going on?" he asked, but as he did so, she was fading away. Her face blurred first, and the coughing faded into the background until all Aladdin could hear was his own racing heartbeat. "Mama!" he yelled, hoping to gain her attention one last time, but she was fading away, everything was fading away, until finally, Aladdin was alone._

_The dirty streets of Agrabah were filled with people, but Aladdin had never been more alone. Mama was gone, she was never coming back, but Baba, what about Baba? Where was he? Was he gone, too, like Mama, or had he chosen to leave Aladdin? But why would he leave his son? He wouldn't, no father would do that, so where was he?_

_"Baba?" he hesitantly called out as he turned in circles. Baba had to be there somewhere, he wouldn't just leave Aladdin alone, especially not with Mama gone. "Baba, where are you? Please, come back," he almost pleaded._

_Aladdin fell to his knees as the pain overtook him. It started in his back and wrist, then grew to his head, a pounding sensation that made him feel sick. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. What was going on? Jasmine, Jasmine, where was Jasmine? And Genie? Baba was gone but what about Genie? The pain grew and grew until it was the only thing that Aladdin could possibly think about. The intensity of the pain brought nausea, and it was all Aladdin could to squeeze his eyes shut and try to breathe. He didn't know what was going on, and in the back of his mind he could hear someone calling his name, but all he could focus on was breathing. One breath, then another, and another, and another. The voice was getting louder, but he just had to breathe. Just breathe. Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe._

* * *

Genie was content to sit in silence throughout his vigil. Rajah had claimed a spot at the foot of the bed, focused towards Aladdin, but his posture anything but relaxed. The two sat there, focused on their charge, unable to do anything but wait, and waiting was always the hardest part. Having lived in a lamp for almost his entire existence, unable to get out of the lamp unless summoned, Genie thought he knew a thing or two about waiting. But sitting there, unable to do a single thing as his kid lay dying, put every single year of solitude in that lamp into perspective. He would gladly experience ten thousand years alone in the lamp, waiting for someone to rub it once again, if only he didn't have to wait this time. If only Aladdin would wake up, and be okay.

His attention was brought out of his silent musings and back to the kid in the bed when he let out a soft groan. Genie immediately snapped his head back up to look at Aladdin, whose face was once again scrunched up in pain.

"Mama," Aladdin muttered, followed by something that Genie couldn't quite make out. Genie's heart fell but his pulse soared. He knew the kid's mom was dead, so why was he seeing her? Was he close enough to death himself that he could see her?

"Come on, kid, come back to me," Genie said, trying to calm his racing heart. Rajah could clearly sense that something was wrong, his tail flicking back and forth in distress.

"Mama, what's going on," he muttered again as he began to thrash his head back and forth. Genie took his hand in both of his, hoping to help ground him, but it wasn't working. He just kept calling out for his mother, and just when Genie thought his heart couldn't break any more, Aladdin muttered something else. "Baba? Baba, where are you, please, come back."

"Aladdin, come on, wake up," Genie pleaded with him. He began to lightly shake his shoulder, not wanting to hurt him at all, but desperately needing him to wake up. Aladdin's breathing was coming in quick gasps now, and Genie was helpless to do anything to help. "Come on, kid, wake up," he repeated, shaking his shoulder a little harder. "Aladdin," he called out, a little louder. He tried again, and again, and again, until finally, Aladdin shot up, and began retching over the side of the bed, but there wasn't anything in his stomach to bring up. Still, at least he was awake. "There ya go, kid," he said, gently rubbing Aladdin's back as the kid tried to take in a good breath. "Just keep breathing, you're gonna be okay."

"Baba?"

Once again, Genie felt Aladdin's words like a punch to his gut. "It's me, kid, Genie, remember?" he hesitantly asked.

Rajah stood and moved closer to Aladdin, letting out soft purrs as he laid down again, this time directly behind Aladdin, his head resting on the kid's shoulder. Once he finally got his breath back, Aladdin groaned and curled in on himself, one hand around his stomach, the other cradling his head.

"What's goin' on, kid?" Genie asked. Aladdin moaned in pain once more, his eyes squeezed shut. "Do you remember what's going on?" This time, Aladdin nodded, but he didn't open his eyes.

"Make it stop," he whispered, so quietly that Genie could barely hear it. Genie took Aladdin's hand in his once again, holding on tightly enough that Aladdin forced his eyes open to look.

"Jasmine and Dalia will be back soon," he said, his voice low and thick with emotion. "And they'll have the antidote, and it's going to be okay. You're going to be just fine, alright? You just need to hold on. You can do that, kid, you can hold on."

"But I just want it to be over," Aladdin said, squeezing his shut against the oncoming tears that he wasn't able to hide from Genie.

"I know and it will be, and I wouldn't be asking you to hang on if I didn't know it was going to be okay," Genie said, not bothering to try to hide his own tears. "Don't you give up. I know it hurts and you wanna see your parents again but you have to stay with me, okay? Your wife is on her way back, she loves you so much, and she's gonna make everything okay. You just have to stay with me. Don't give up, kid, don't you dare give up." He knew he was practically pleading with Aladdin at that point, but he couldn't bring himself to care. In that moment, he didn't care about anything but the kid in front of him, in such a pain that Genie couldn't even begin to imagine, and that he was powerless to stop.

Genie moved from his position, kneeling on the floor beside the bed, to climbing onto it. He gently pulled the kid into his arms, mindful of the kid's torn up back and wrist. At least the bandages were still clear, meaning that they hadn't begun bleeding again. Genie held onto Aladdin as tightly as he could, hoping beyond hope that everything would be okay. He could say all he wanted that everything was going to turn out fine, but he didn't really know that. How could he know that? He wasn't some all powerful or all knowing genie anymore, he was just a guy who used to be a genie. If Genie had known that this would happen, then he never would've told Aladdin about his wish to become human, or at the very least he wouldn't have said 'human', he would've left it more broad, so that maybe he could've kept all of his powers but not have been bound to the genie rules anymore. At least then, he could be with Dalia and live a normal life, but still be able to do something to help. Nothing was worse than not being able to help.

"You're gonna be okay, I promise," Genie said, even though he knew he couldn't promise that. There wasn't anything he could do to make Aladdin okay, but he would promise anything if it would help even the tiniest bit. "I'm gonna be here, no matter what. I'm not gonna leave you." Aladdin was now clinging onto Genie almost as much as Genie was clinging onto him. He had his head pressed against Genie's chest, his eyes still shut tight, taking in slow, deliberate breaths. "I'm here. I'm always gonna be here." Genie didn't know exactly what happened to Aladdin's father. All he knew for sure was that the man was gone, and had been for a very long time. Aladdin didn't like to talk about it, and Genie respected that. For all intents and purposes, the kid was an orphan, and had been since he was very young. His mother had died, and he hadn't seen his father since before then. There had been one time when the kid had let it slip that he still didn't know if his father was dead or had just abandoned him, but Genie wasn't about to let that happen again, no matter what the truth was. Genie wasn't going to leave him. Blood or not, they were family, and Genie was always going to be there for him. He'd already made sure that the kid understood that when he and Dalia left for a trip around the world, they were going to come back. Not coming back just wasn't an option. It took some doing, but Genie was pretty sure that Aladdin believed him, and he was going to make sure that that trust was always well founded. "I'm never going to leave you," Genie repeated once more.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, holding Aladdin against him, trying to comfort him as he rode out the waves of pain, praying that Jasmine and Dalia would be back with the antidote soon. Rajah stayed where he was, knowing how wrong all of this was and doing everything he could to protect Aladdin. Protection was, after all, what Rajah was born and bred for. By the time Genie saw the little glimmer on the horizon that he had come to recognize as Carpet, the sun had set, and it was quickly growing dark. But that little glimmer was getting closer and closer, and for the first time since all of this had started, Genie felt his heart soar. Jasmine and Dalia were back. Still, he didn't move from his place holding his kid. Aladdin had once again either fallen asleep or passed out, and at least this time, his face wasn't scrunched up with pain, and he was breathing steadily.

It was only a few moments later that Carpet soared back into the room, Jasmine expertly sliding off and rushing towards her husband. Genie decided that it wasn't the right time to ask her why on earth she was wearing the clothes of a commoner, instead of the clothes that she had left the palace in. The only thing that mattered was Aladdin.

"Did you get it?" Genie quickly asked.

"Yes, I just hope it's not too late," Jasmine immediately responded. She pulled a vial of dusty liquid out from some pocket and leaned over Aladdin, who was still cradled in Genie's lap.

"Should we wake him?" Dalia asked before anyone could do anything, wringing her hands together in nervousness.

"No, he should swallow it reflexively," Genie responded with a shake of his head. Aladdin didn't seem to be in any pain at that moment, and Genie didn't want to change that by waking him.

Jasmine uncapped the vial and gently held it to Aladdin's lips. Slowly, she poured it in, and just as Genie knew he would, he swallowed it.

After a moment, Genie asked, "when will we know if it worked?" He hadn't been expecting Aladdin to immediately spring up, claiming to be in perfect health, but he hadn't been expecting no change at all either.

"I don't know," Jasmine said, shaking her head. "He didn't say. I don't even know if this antidote is magic or some kind of science." She sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, taking her husband's hand in hers. "We just have to wait," she said, her voice breaking. Jasmine took a deep breath and steadied herself. "Dalia, would you please alert the guards that Ahmad and his daughter should be welcomed here?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," Dalia replied with a small smile. It wasn't much, but that bit of normalcy did wonders to calm Genie's nerves. It was going to be okay. It was all going to be okay. They just had to wait.

But that was always the hardest part. The waiting.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: I'm pretty sure there's only going to be one chapter after this, maybe even just an epilogue. But I'm on spring break next week and I won't really be writing at all, and I still have another fic I need to update before I update this one again, so it's probably going to be a touch longer than normal (if I even have a normal lol). Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review! Even though I barely ever respond anymore because college, I read every single one of them, and they mean the world to me :)**

* * *

The only thing Dalia could focus on was breathing. One breath after another. In and out. She couldn't believe that it had only been a few days since it had started. They had been the longest days of her life. But she had a job to do now, and she was going to do it. Ahmad and Tiahna needed to be let into the palace, and then, Dalia had another plan, one that she was still trying to talk herself out of.

Hakim was now standing guard near the gate, so he would be the one that she talked to.

"Pardon me, Hakim?" she gently asked as she came up to him.

"Yes, my lady," he answered with a respectful nod.

"A man and his daughter will soon be arriving. They are to be let in immediately. Their names are Ahmad and Tiahna. They helped the sultan and I in securing the antidote for the king, and must be recognized for their efforts. Please, have them given the finest suite we have, and make sure that they have everything they could possibly want," she ordered.

"It will be done, my lady," Hakim said, another nod of respect following.

"Thank you," Dalia quickly replied, then turned around and made her way not back to the sultan's quarters, but to the dungeons. She had another job to do, and she would not be afraid to do it. Her dear Gene had let it slip that Fahad still had Aladdin's wedding ring, and she was going to get it back from him, one way, or another.

She hadn't done it in years, but it was still easy enough to slip past the guards and into the dungeons. A long time ago, when she and Jasmine were much younger and much less responsible, they would sneak anywhere and everywhere that they weren't supposed to go. Really, it was Jasmine who would sneak there, and Dalia would follow her, because of course she couldn't let the girl go alone, but she was never able to stop her like she should have. Of course, Dalia was taller than she had been at the time when she and Jasmine had done most of their sneaking around, but she still knew the proper path to take and the nooks and crannies she could force herself into to hide from the guards. It worked just as well as when she was young. Dalia shook her head with a faint smile, the memories of her youth providing a much needed solace from the disaster that had been the last few days.

Once she was in the actual dungeon itself, she needed to be much more careful. She didn't know where Fahad was being kept, so she would have to do some searching in order to find him, and do that searching without getting caught. It wasn't as if she would get in trouble, but she would be sternly escorted out, and then she wouldn't be able to get the ring back, and she wouldn't be able to get the answers that she craved. Why had Fahad done this? Why would a wealthy nobleman, who had everything he could have ever needed, do this?

Dalia quickly ducked into a corner when she heard the telltale sound of guards making their rounds. It was dark enough, and she was still enough, that they passed right by without seeing her. It worked just as well as it had years before. That wasn't too much of a surprise. The guards were focused on the prisoners in their cells, not on the dark corners outside of them.

After breathing a sigh of relief, Dalia continued on her way. As she made her way down the hallways, she tuned out the whispers of the prisoners asking each other about her, and definitely didn't pay attention to any leers she heard. It didn't matter. She was down there for a reason, and she would not be dissuaded.

She passed cell after cell, each one not containing Fahad's disgusting face - she had never found him particularly unattractive, but now even the thought of his face made her sick. Getting frustration with her lack of progress wasn't going to help, but a deep breath and a positive attitude might, so that was exactly what she would do. So Dalia continued on, her head held high.

Down the hallway, Dalia could hear footsteps coming again. She needed to get somewhere where neither the prisoners nor the guards could see her. Glancing around, Dalia noticed a well. It was out of the way, and if she were behind it, no one would be able to see her. She quickly dashed over, made herself as small as possible, and settled in to wait. It didn't take long for the footsteps to grow closer, and closer, until finally, they stopped, but not in front of her. They stopped in front of one of the cells that Dalia hadn't reached yet. Straining, she could make out them talking.

"You gave up everything, you know that, right? You will never get your life back, not after trying to murder the king," one of the guards said.

Dalia heard a scoff. "A street rat can never be a real king," Fahad replied. Dalia's eyes widened. He was right there. She was so close.

"Let's go," the other guard said. "His life may be over, but our duties have just begun for the night. Let's keep moving." The continued to walk, and Dalia continued to wait. She wanted to be absolutely sure that she was in the clear. But as she started to rise from her hiding place, she heard a voice once again, a mutter that she could just barely make out.

"...should never be king, should never be allowed to live freely."

"Oh, stop your muttering," came another voice, this one from across the hall. Another prisoner. "We're all stuck down here, we don't wanna hear your ramblings." Dalia risked peaking her head up to get a look at what was going on. The man in the cell across from Fahad was staring at him, waving his arms in exasperation. "So please, just be quiet. I don't care that you tried to kill the king. Everyone who does something terrible gets thrown in here, so be quiet."

And for a moment, Fahad was quiet. But only a moment.

"Then why isn't the man who murdered my wife in here!" Fahad shouted, causing Dalia to flinch back. "He murdered her! He murdered my unborn child! Why isn't he here? Why did they not chase him down and throw him in here too?" Fahad asked, then let out a scream of frustration. For another moment, the silence returned. Then, in a quiet voice, the other prisoner spoke up once again.

"The king killed your wife?" he asked.

Fahad sighed, loudly enough for Dalia to hear. "No, not the king. The king didn't do anything. From what I've heard, he's never hurt anyone in his life."

"Then why do what you did? Why do what they say you did if the king has nothing to do with it?" the other man asked.

Dalia settled back into her hiding place, content to sit there and listen. Now that she thought about it, she could remember hearing something about a sheikh's wife getting killed right when she was brought on as Jasmine's handmaiden. That was so long ago, she could barely remember it at all, but maybe this was what Fahad was talking about.

"Because the king is the closest revenge I'll ever get for her. Because his whole life, that boy was a street rat, until somehow he won the princess' heart, and now he's king. He doesn't deserve to be king, just as my Nijah didn't deserve to be murdered by a street rat. If I cannot punish that street rat for what he did, I will punish this one instead," Fahad replied, his voice wavering only a bit.

The other man sighed, but was quiet. Dalia peeked her head over again, and saw the other man shaking his head as he moved further back in his cell, out of her view.

"I hope it was worth it," the man finally said. "You'll die for this. You know that, right? Sheikh or not, you'll be beheaded, or drawn and quartered, or-"

"Yes, I get it," Fahad interrupted. "I knew the cost if I failed, and I'm willing to accept it. I've lost. I can only hope to be reunited with Nijah now, but even that may not occur."

The other man was silent once again, as was Fahad. Dalia gave it another minute, just to be sure that they really were finished speaking, and there was nothing else that he would let slip to her. Once she was sure they were done, she strained her ears to make sure that the guards weren't coming, then, once she was sure, she finally extricated herself from her hiding position behind the well, and made her way over to Fahad's cell. She spared a short glance over at the cell across. The other man stared at her in confusion for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders and went back to leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. Fahad did not do the same. His eyes narrowed at the sight of her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her, leaning forward a bit in his seated position.

"You took something from Aladdin. I'm here to get it back," she simply replied. Dalia wasn't going to speak with him any more than she absolutely had to at that point. She had all the answers she would probably ever get, even though his deranged thought pattern could barely be considered answers. It was time to be thankful that Gene and Aladdin were okay - hopefully, at least. If Aladdin didn't pull through, she would be foolish to think that either Gene or Jasmine would ever be the same again, or even be okay again. But she didn't have to worry about that, because the king would be fine. He was young and strong and he was going to be just fine. "His ring," she continued, when Fahad remained silent. "You still have his wedding ring with you, do you not?"

Fahad gave a soft sigh, but nodded. "Yes, I still have the boy's ring in my pocket. But why should I give it to you? Why is that boy allowed to have his wife but I am not? Why should a street rat be able to wear his ring proudly while I cannot?" he asked, but for the first time, there was no real heat behind his words. The anger that had once seemed to be all consuming seemed gone, like a candle whose flame was snuffed out. More than anything, Fahad seemed tired, too tired to put up a real fight about it. Still, Dalia wasn't going to get the ring back unless Fahad handed it to her. But what could she say? Bringing up his late wife, Nijah, probably wouldn't go over well, but there was clearly no reasoning with a man such as him.

"Fahad, please," was all Dalia could say, her voice as gentle as she could make it. She offered him a soft smile, and held out her hand through the bars. It took everything in her not to let her hand shake.

"You may as well just give it to her," the man in the opposite cell called out. "They're gonna get it back after they execute you, so you may as well just give it back now," the man said with a shrug, his eyes still closed and head still resting against the wall.

Fahad rolled his eyes, but started digging around in his pocket nonetheless. He pulled out the interconnected rings hanging limply together, and held it in his hand. Fahad glanced between it and Dalia, before finally shaking his head, and holding it out to Dalia.

"Don't say I never did anything for that brat," he muttered, not looking at her.

Dalia bristled and opened her mouth to respond, then thought better of it. It just wasn't worth it. She'd gotten what she came for. She didn't need to stay there any longer. Taking a deep breath, she turned and left, not bothering to try to stay out of the way of the guards this time. If they saw her, she would be escorted out, but out was already where she was going, so it didn't matter. Either way, the walk was quiet, and she didn't run into anyone.

The night air was cool as it wafted through the palace, rustling a few curtains and providing a much needed reprieve from the desert heat. The guards seemed to relish in it, being a bit more lazy in their duties than normal, but Dalia wasn't about to scold them for it. It had been a long few days. They deserved a rest just as much as everyone else.

"Dalia!"

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the source of the one who called out her name, and a smile broke out as soon as she saw her. It was little Tiahna, running madly towards her and away from Ahmad, who was shaking his head and smiling as he followed his little girl.

"Hello there," Dalia responded, crouching down to give Tiahna a better view of her. She and her father had been out in the courtyard. It was close to the guest quarters, which was where they would be staying. "Do you like it here?" Dalia asked, despite knowing the answer.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Tiahna enthusiastically replied, jumping up and down. The little girl let out a happy squeal when her father lifted her up into his arms.

"You have been more than welcoming to us, you have given us far more than we deserve," Ahmad said, his face full of nothing but gratitude and awe. "How is he?" he asked. He didn't need to elaborate on who he was asking about.

Dalia sighed. "Well, when I left, he had not yet woken, but he doesn't seem to be getting worse anymore, so that's good news," she said.

Ahmad looked at her hopefully. "When can I see him?" he asked. Tiahna was asleep on his shoulder.

"I can't say for sure, since I'm not the physician, but I would say tomorrow, as long as he continues to improve," she replied.

"Thank you, my lady, for everything," he said, giving her a small, respectful bow.

"It is what you deserve," Dalia said with a smile. "Even if you don't think so. Good evening to you both," she said, looking once more to Tiahna, who had her thumb in her mouth as she slept. She truly was a precious angel. Dalia couldn't wait to have one of her own. And Gene would be the most wonderful father. In many ways, he already was one.

Dalia continued on her way back to the sultan's quarters, soon arriving. The guards let her through, and she found the scene in front of her much changed from when she had left, but it brought another smile to her face. When she had left, Jasmine had been sitting on the edge of the bed, holding Aladdin's hand in her own. Gene had been holding Aladdin close, explaining that since he'd taken up that position, Aladdin hadn't woken from another nightmare - as if he needed to justify why he felt better being in the closest proximity to Aladdin as he could. But now, Jasmine was lying down on the bed, her face mere inches from Aladdin's, fast asleep. Gene hadn't moved, but he was obviously dozing. Rajah was at the foot of the bed, and perked up when she entered room, but, upon seeing that it was only her, settled right back in. Abu was right next to him, also asleep, and Carpet was over them. Dalia shook her head at the sight, a fond smile on her face.

Quietly, she walked over and set the ring on the table next to the bed. Putting it back on Aladdin's finger wasn't her job. As carefully as she could, Dalia climbed into the bed on the opposite side of Aladdin and Jasmine, and placed Gene's arm around her. He woke up a little as she snuggled in.

"Hey," he muttered, his voice husky. "Do what you needed to?" His eyes were closed once again, but he pulled her in a little tighter to him.

"Yes, yes I did," she whispered back, letting herself relax in the arms of the love of her life. A moment later, she heard his snores once again. Dalia smiled, and closed her eyes. Things were all going to be okay.

The light of the moon and stars was bright through the balcony, but beautiful. A gentle breeze brought the cool air into the room, making the temperature absolutely perfect. As they slept, so did Agrabah. It was a beautiful night.


	15. Chapter 15 (epilogue)

**AN: I want to start this by saying I'm sorry. For a lot of things. I feel like the quality of this fic has declined a lot as it's gone on. I started this fic while I was deep in an Aladdin hyperfixation after seeing the movie, and that lasted for several months, but it was inevitable that it had to fade eventually. Then I was stupid and decided to try to write two multiple chapter fics at once (which I will never be doing again) and I know that didn't help. Then schedules and stuff got super crazy, which isn't on me, but I know that it still really sucks. However, that being said, I really have enjoyed writing this, and idk when, but eventually, I'm going to write more Aladdin fic. I have a ton of ideas that I really love, I just have to be in the zone to write them. In the meantime, you can read any of the gazillion MacGyver fics I've written, or my other Aladdin fics, or my Kingsman stuff, or what I'm currently writing as well as this, a Blue Bloods fic. Once I finish that one, I will likely be writing for Prodigal Son, since that show is my new hyperfixation lol. If none of that strikes your fancy, that's fine too. I hope you are all staying safe and healthy during all this corona stuff. And as always, I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

* * *

ONE MONTH LATER

Aladdin smiled as he took in the sight before him: Rajah, Carpet, and Abu playing with little Tiahna in the courtyard. He was watching the little girl while her father moved the rest of their belongings into the palace. After Aladdin woke up, it hadn't taken much convincing to get Ahmad to take a palace job and live there. He insisted that it wasn't charity, since Ahmad would have to work just like everyone else, but even if it was a generous offer, there was no one else more deserving. Ahmad had helped to save his life, and that was a debt that Aladdin believed he could never truly repay.

Tiahna loved every moment. From playing with Rajah and Abu and Carpet, to dragging Dalia everywhere she could, to playing in the fountains, the little girl was in paradise. Aladdin could see the way that Genie and Dalia looked at her, and he could tell what they were planning. He would have been lying if he said that he and Jasmine hadn't talked about having a little one of their own in a few years, and it was an idea that both terrified and excited him. But then again, all the greatest ideas were both of those things. Still, he and Jasmine both had some growing and maturing of their own that they needed to do before they added a child to the mix. They were young monarchs, and that came with a lot of challenges. Dalia and Genie didn't have those challenges. If they did, they certainly wouldn't be leaving to see the world in two days.

At first, Aladdin had felt bad about it. They had been planning on leaving nearly a month ago, but both had vehemently refused to leave until they were sure that he was okay. Aladdin had felt fully recovered for almost two weeks, and they still weren't departing until the following week. Once enough time had past that Aladdin was beginning to grow annoyed with their good-natured pestering when it came to his well being, he knew that he couldn't call it his own fault anymore.

"Guess what Dalia just told me," came his wife's voice from right next to him. She had crept up behind him at some point, and was now bouncing on her toes in excitement, a wide smile on her face. He turned to face her a little bit, but made sure to keep some of his attention on Tiahna. He was supposed to be supervising her while she was with Rajah, after all. It wasn't that Rajah would ever try to hurt her, but he was a tiger, and tigers were just a lot bigger than toddlers. Supervision was just a good idea.

"Don't tell him before we can," came Genie's voice from down the hall. He and Dalia were walking quickly towards them, massive smiles on both of their faces. Jasmine smiled widely once again, grasping Aladdin's hand in hers, quickly intertwining them. Aladdin smiled at his wedding ring, firmly back where it belonged.

"It's the best thing ever," Jasmine said, clearly having a rough time holding her excitement. Aladdin had a feeling that he knew what Dalia and Genie were going say. There was only one thing that could make Jasmine so ecstatic, and put those smiles on Dalia and Genie.

"Oh my," he started, his jaw dropping. He quickly glanced between Genie and Dalia, again and again, his gaze settling on neither one. He quickly remembered to spare a glance back at Tiahna, who was still having the time of her life. Rajah was lying on the ground, seemingly content to let her climb all over him. Aladdin looked back between Genie and Dalia once more. "Are you- is she- are you-?"

"Yes!" Dalia exclaimed, not even giving Aladdin the chance to finish forming his question. She and Jasmine were both giddy with excitement, while Genie had this look of awe and wonder on his face.

"We just spoke with the physician, and it's official. We're having a baby," Genie said, his smile never falling.

"That's amazing!" Aladdin replied, quickly pulling both Dalia and Genie into a hug. "I'm so happy for you guys!" he said once he released them from the hug.

"We're gonna do as much traveling as we can, then briefly settle down somewhere to have the baby, then we'll be back," Dalia said with a smile. Nine months was a long time to not have Genie with him, but Aladdin wasn't going to sour the moment. Besides, he would be fine.

"Okay, but before you leave, there is so much we have to talk about," Jasmine said, gently taking Dalia's arm and leading her away. Aladdin and Genie couldn't help but laugh after them.

"You're gonna be an amazing father," Aladdin said to the man in front of him. He didn't say that he already was one, being the only father figure that Aladdin could remember. Genie should already know that, anyway. Some things just didn't need to be said.

"Aww, thanks, kid," Genie said, his smile finally fading ever so slightly, but likely more from his face getting tired than anything else. The thought made Aladdin smile a little more. "And they're gonna love you," he continued, lightly punching Aladdin in the arm. As simple as it was, the physical gesture meant everything to him. Everyone had spent so much time treating him like he was some fragile thing that was going to fall apart after what Fahad did to him, and that simply wasn't true. He'd been on the street his whole life. He was made of tougher stuff. That wasn't to say that there hadn't been some rough nights, but after a week or so, it had gotten better, and Aladdin knew that he was going to be just fine.

"I don't know," Aladdin replied, shaking his head just a bit. "I don't have much experience with kids."

"You're selling yourself way too short, kid. You go out of your way to help out basically every kid you've ever seen in your life," Genie said. Aladdin rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help the small laugh that escaped. Genie stepped to his side and swung an arm around his shoulders, and gave a soft sigh. "I know this is gonna be a long nine months for you two, but I'm so proud of you."

"We don't have to-"

"Hey, let me finish, this is important," Genie interrupted. Aladdin help up a hand placatingly. "I'm not just talking about the stuff with Fahad, I'm talking about the whole time I've known you. You have this kindness and mercy that few possess, and it's part of what makes you the great kid you are." Aladdin ducked his head, blushing. "You always do the right thing, no matter what, and I am so, so proud to call you my family, to call you my king." Genie emphasized his words with a squeeze on his hand on Aladdin's shoulder.

"I don't- uhm, I don't know what to say, Genie, I mean, a lot of that is because of you," he replied. "I wouldn't be who I am if it weren't for you, so, you've only got yourself to thank," he said, looking up at Genie with a grin that he hoped would lighten the moment. He wasn't good at these conversations.

"Then, you're welcome?" Genie said hesitantly, then broke out into a grin himself. He ruffled Aladdin's hair, earning himself a light punch the shoulder in return, the moment over.

Aladdin looked back over to Tiahna, who had fallen asleep on Rajah, the tiger looking pretty content himself. Dalia and Jasmine were nowhere to be seen, but Aladdin figured they were somewhere talking all things baby. Taking stock of things, life was better than Aladdin would've thought it could be a month past his ordeal. Life was better than Aladdin almost thought was even possible, but that certainly wasn't something to complain about. It was something to treasure, something to remember, even on the bad days. Aladdin had never exactly been one to take life for granted anyway, but he certainly wasn't going to start any time soon.

He breathed in the wonderful spring air and reveled in the warmth of the sun. Yeah, life was pretty good.

THE END


End file.
